This Design Idea describes a versatile test circuit for zener diodes after yet another misread zener diode had infiltrated the ranks of 1N4148 diodes assembled on a pc board. As a bonus, the circuit ...

To measure a zener diode’s breakdown voltage, you need a dc voltage source whose voltage exceeds that of the zener voltage. In Figure 1, resistor R SER provides voltage drop between V IN and V ZEN. In ...