I am currently studying clippers or parallel limiters in the Navy and I was wondering if someone could clear up a few things for me.
Here is a picture that fits my description:
A clipper has a diode in parallel with the output signal across from it and this output signal contains a load resistor. This is a positive clipper / positive parallel limiter. Assuming that the current flows from the left as an input, the current goes through the resistor and the diode. The current is forward biased so the diode acts as a short. This happens only for the positive part of the signal (I'm still curious why).
What I'm confused about is the reverse biased case when the current doesn't go through the diode and only through the load resistor parallel to the branch containing the diode. The diode is said to be open. When we talk about reverse bias, are we saying that the current is going from the battery Vdc to the resistor? What direction does the current flow for reverse bias?