Dave ... I just retired from the industry a year ago after 52 years. I've been watching your video blogs for months and must say that you do the very best job explaining concepts in a very entertaining manner than any other I've found. GREAT JOB !! I have seen in the comments trolls troubleshooting your videos. Don't let them bother you. You have something really good going on here.

I'm just a hobbyist, but I have deep love for electronics. Videos like these also keep us amateur students interested in the subject. Thank you for taking the time to make it. I loved it. I'm going to binge watch all the fundamental videos in the series!

Well, that made me feel old - in college days, before they stopped students from sneaking into the faculty dining room, I sat at the table next to Clarence Zener. Woo Hoo - brush with greatness!

Working 35 years in the professional electronics industry and i never considered the iconic shape of the zener symbol. We are never too old to learn something new! Thanks Dave :)

You are fifty times better than my instructor, Dave. You should record these kind of videos more often. Thank you.

I like these sort of videos the most Dave. Very educational. More of this would be great.

You have to respect a guy who’s so enthusiastic about explaining things.

Fundamental Fridays has to be the best segment on the EEVBLOG.

Who needs a degree when you have Dave!

looked at tons of videos for zener diodes this was the best one. thanks

I tried watching other KZfaq videos but they confused me even more but your sir really helpful I'm really glad I found your channel

I do not know if you will ever read this, but i want you to know that your videos helped me a great deal through my exams and I can't express how gratefull I am. I am 27 yold from Greece studying for my 2nd Class Marine Enginneering Certificate after a long time away from the profession due to health problems and I've been through a lot lately. So many setbacks i can't even begin with. Your videos where helpfull and cheered me up while in a really bad place. As a mechanical engineer my electronics knowledge was limited to the stuff i learned at school and it has been a very long time in marine engine rooms's noise and heat since the last time i studied about electronics, so your style of explaining helped me fill many of my knowledge gaps in and pass my exams. I will never forget your help. I will also try to donate a little something as I am in a realy bad place right now... I wish i could do more. May you always have good health and keep up the good job. I wish you the best with the new lab .You have my everlasting gratitude and respect.

Even though I'm quite familiar with this topic I found this to be quite interesting. Let's hear more of this kind of stuff on the EEVBlog! Tear downs only go so far...

Man congrats. I was googling in order to understand but without lack. The real secret of zener diode is actually its dynamic resistant that explains exactly how it regulates the voltage. Thanks so much for educating us.

Thank you for explaining Zeners. It's interesting to know the history behind it's invention, too. And thank you for telling me not to be scared of the triangle, so it's Delta, not illuminati...feels much better.

i wish i had watched these videos in school. i'm working now and these are great for building the intuition i should have built as an EE graduate (instead of getting bogged down with math).... i'm learning way more here than i did in my 2 semesters of analog electronics courses.

These are the videos that made EEVBLOG what it has become. Well this and test equipment reviews... This video hasn't aged one bit after all these years and I can see this being the standard for many years to come...

Audiophile reasons for using Zener diodes: 1) Input protection (clamping) to avoid damaging or latching op-amps or ADCs down the chain. 2) As a peak limiter (high ratio dynamics compression) to limit the signal level -- e.g., to control the clipping point before ADCs (which may sound even worse than analog clipping when overdriven) or to protect speakers from over-excursion (typically for high-power PA stuff.) 3) Intentional distortion (as in effects pedals.)

Thx Dave. Yep I'm a late comer. Welcome to the shunt regulator. Tricky if you are using a fixed resistor input & high dissipation. Every since the monolithic regulators came out they pushed Zener based regulators into the dustbin of time. So, except for niche uses, like you said, they are done. Obviously they are popular enough that they are still available. I for one am glad Bob Widlar came on the scene and gave us bandgap references that are embedded in all these regulators. Again thx Dave for taking the time do this video.

I have used a Zener diode in a recent project: A bike tachometer utilizing the pulses coming from the hub generator using a cheap Arduino Nano clone and a 16x2 display. To not blow up my Arduino when the lights are switched off (the generator idles at 24V and more!) I made a small module containing a bridge rectifier, after that a high-impedance input (10K resistor) leading to an NPN transistor's base which is clipped off with a 5V Zener diode. A pulldown resistor of 100K on the base ensures the input won't pick up too much noise on the way. The output to the Arduino is just a connection to ground, and the input pin itself, pulled high by an internal pull-up.

Thanks! I haven't looked at this stuff since college, and I still learned something I remember having trouble with.

thanks dave

Even if I know about Zener diodes, I love seeing Dave in front of a whiteboard.

My instructors in college (40 years ago) may have been good engineers but were poor teachers. Dave here surely is good at being both. Liked and subbed!

Love your work Dave. I’m currently studying an AD in electrical and electronics engineering and your videos are much easier to understand than any of the material provided by the university.

very helpful. i was confused to understand the diode as normal voltage regulator but as you cleared things up that it isn't a good device when load is connected.

You are a very good teacher. Funny at the right times, light but full of info that's easy to digest, and you have a pleasant voice. I think the way things are taught, especially how they are said, plays a big role in students being capable of absorbing the concepts.

Fundamentals Friday is my favorite episodes. I have no idea if they are popular, but over time, these will be the most important episodes you do.

My 14yr old son enjoyed this video. You explain it way better than I do!

Especially after the comment at 10:48 I'm convinced that your inspiration for talking about zeners right now is the KNEE curve. :)

Fundamentals Friday!!! YES!!! MY FAVORITE!

We need more fridays.

Man I wish I could hang out with you for a week. This stuff comes so naturally to you. I am learning so much and I have been working with electronics for 20 years.

Dave, Very nicely done. I have learned a lot and appreciate how well you put the concepts and related functional specifications into perspective. Keep up the excellent work! Thanks, Bob

I had the privilege to have a curve tracer in my shop in the Navy in 1973. The Zener breakdown was fascinating for me. Shunt regulators were common back then. However, the current needed to provide regulation of Zeners with voltage specs below 5 volts went up due to the knee characteristics were not as sharp. This was at the time that the LEDs were being available to the hobbyist. I put the available LEDs on the curve tracer and found that the knee characteristics in forward mode were a lot sharper with 2 red LEDS in series at 3.6 v than the nearest spec Zener diode at lower current. When my squadron upgraded their aircraft, we went from peanut tubes and early transistors to ICs. When I went to be schooled on the new system, I mentioned the voltage drop of a typical red LED at my turn at the blackboard and one of my instructors had an epiphany. He figured out what the LEDs on the board hidden from view in a piece of test equipment were for. A low voltage shunt voltage source operating at less than 5 ma. The student taught the instructor that day. LEDS from that time: IR, 1.6 v; Red, 1.8 v; Amber, 2.0 v; Green, 2.2 volts with a less sharp knee.

knew most of this already but still learned something interesting. Thank you! Your videos are always worth watching. Much appreciated!

what a great presentation Dave I look forward to seeing more of your foundation series videos.

Cannot tell you how much i love your teaching videos. Again awesome !!!!! Thank you so much.

U R absolutely the Best teacher in this World

Incredible straightforward explanation! Thanks, Dave!

You're a gem, dude. This is brilliant and hilarious.

Great design teardown, good references to the data sheet with explanations,practical use of hardware,basic circuit calculations with various loads and input supply .All in all, this video sets the standard.

great discussions about zener diode . thanks for sharing your idea sir.

Dave ... one of your best presentations .. tho my elder brain had to use more watts to keep up with your rapid-fire discourse!! GREAT job .. especially cuz wE are able to 'stop' y9u in mid-sentence, and replay at our leisure ....!!! THAANKS

Thanks Dave, I always appreciate the fundamentals videos. They might never bring in the number of views that the mailbag or teardown videos do but they will be on KZfaq for many many years to come (hopefully), helping out future newbies and also rusty oldies like me that need reminding.

Great video, many thanks Dave !

Dave, love your videos and clear explanation! Keep up the great work!

Very good and detail explanation on Zener. Got clarity on some of my question I had in real-world application.

I love this guy. I suggest the videos made by him to anyone that wants to learn about circuits.

I'm in love with you Fundamental Friday videos, please keep up the awesome work

Nice explanation! Looking forward to the video about clamping and protection devices.

I think I struck gold. This is one of the best videos I've seen explaining Zener diodes. Thank you!

From a beginner, thank you very much, that answered my questions perfectly on using a zener diode as clamping protection.

Always love the fundamental video, partly because it is recognition what you know (of course gratifying 🤓) and picking up additional information! Can't go far and deep enough.

Short and simply done, nice lecture.

Excellent video. I like that he makes the occasional mistake and corrects it. Very real-life.

Dave, Thanks for the refresher! Rob

Love your tutorials. keep up the good work and get well soon.

Great explanation! Thanks, Dave!

Thanks Dave. Another very nice video

Thank you Dave, I have to say your videos are very helpful and informative. With the knowledge of EMC testing, I have always dreamt of working as in EMC design but at least with your videos I am extensively increasing my knowledge on the basics. Who knows something might Knock the door and will remember you for sure. Thank you again!

Excellent instructor and Zener diode lesson. Thank you for teaching.

great video Dave. takes me back a few years when I studied electronics. have long forgotten some of these principles.

Thank you Dave!! Awesome video as always!! Very educational

Good job Dave. Enjoyed it and learned quite a bit! Thanks.

Your teaching style with smiling face is awesome. Thank you so much Sir.

Thank you!! I was aware of the basic properties of the Zener diode, and didn't understand why people avoided them as a solution for voltage regulation, and your tutorial helped me to understand why.

Really comprehensive and easy to understand. Thanks for making this Videos.

Hi amazing teacher, the only part that was missed how to test it on the board and how know if it was healthy or not. That is very important for fixing stuff. Many thanks again

You've covered the essentials very well, Dave! It doesn't hurt to refresh my memory from way back at Community College.

Dave, any chance you could talk about more circuit protection stuff? MOVs, spark gaps, etc. and *when* each of them should be used?

Very nice. Best video about zener diode seen so far. Comprehensive enough to get the idea and simple enough not to lose interest/attention till the end of the video.

I learn so much from your vids Dave, please do more of this sort of basic theory and common application stuff..

I really like your channel , and finally its Fundamental Friday , i was missing this part on your channel .

Great job! In Poland in my university, professor recommend your videos - so it is the best proof that there videos are immensely educational. Thank you.

Mr.Dave, you are so great man. You deserve a lot. thanks is not enough for you. I learned a lot from you. I wish all professors would be like you. This will change the future of education. On no account, do not stop making videos, please. Big thanks from Egypt.

Such a simple and easy to understand explanation. Thank you.

Awesome! I like fundamental Friday! Thanks for the video Dave!

I'm so happy your channel is in my life. helping lots in my mechatronics class

Finally, I understand what the Zener is for :D thanks a lot, Dave!

Awesome. Wanted to mention that I'm missing the times when you did EE lecture kind of videos. Enjoyed all of them.

Yes yes yes. I already knew most of zeners but I love your basics videos! Do more of em!

I know this is an old Vid Dave, but your channel is invaluable. I've been binge watching for days now, and really cleaning up on the theory I missed out on in college some 20 plus years ago.

Awesome video! I always love fundamentals fridays.

Thank you very much, Sir! That was VERY helpful!

A Very good video! No worries about extra length - the longer it takes, the deeper you can dig.

I love these kind of videos!! Thanks for making another one!

Your videos and tutorials are excellent. Please keep it up good work!

I love fundamentals Friday and teardowns! I NEED MORE!!!!

Lots of good information. Thanks Dave!

Great teaching capabilities clear and simple, great video

I wanted to thank you especially for the videos like this. The amount of knowledge you share is vast, but the way you share it is the greatest part about it. Thank you for sharing your time with us and teaching with clarity, vigor, and enthusiasm. Cheers!

Thank you Dave, great video!

Thank you for posting this explanation! ❤❤ Studying for my test and you explain so clearly! 😊

thanks Dave. I enjoy these fundamental videos.

Awesome video and a very interesting and useful topic. Love fundamentals videos. Demonstrates the potential of some people to explain what others can’t in the classroom. If you have the video about how to calculate the Rz and Zener, it would be great to put link in the description.

Videos about electronic parts are very useful!. Thanks. It is also good to say where they are used.

Very nice, very easy to understand. Thank you, more of these would be awesome!

thanks Dave learn something every time from these and the older tear down videos.

Thanks, in particular I found the dynamic resistance part rather handy, cheers