This time it’s zener diodes. Page three or four of every ‘beginners guide to electronics’ covers a diode as, “a component that only allows current to flow in one direction.” ...

As active devices go, it doesn’t get much simpler than a diode. Two terminals. Current flows in one direction and not in the other. Simple, right? Well, then there are examples with useful si… ...

However, when you use this approachwith a higher-rate signal, the effects ofthe parasitic RC filter distort the signal (Figure 2 ). The circuit from the FPGA’sapplication notes requires a change,which ...