150px|thumb|This simple diode clamp will clamp the negative peaks of the incoming waveform to the common rail voltage A diode clamp circuit can take a periodic alternating current signal that oscillates between positive and negative values, and vertically displace it such that either the positive or the negative peaks occur at a prescribed level. The clamper does not restrict the peak-to-peak excursion of the signal, it moves the whole signal up or down so as to place the peaks at the reference level.
150px|thumb|This simple diode clamp will clamp the negative peaks of the incoming waveform to the common rail voltage A diode clamp circuit can take a periodic alternating current signal that oscillates between positive and negative values and vertically displace it such that either the positive or the negative peaks occur at a prescribed level. The clamper does not restrict the peak-to-peak excursion of the signal, it moves the whole signal up or down so as to place the peaks at the reference level.