Protection of Equipment
The output of a power supply should be free of sudden changes that can damage equipment or components, or interfere with their proper performance. It is also important that voltages not appear on the...
Category: Power Supplies
Power Supplies
Voltage Regulation
If a special diode called a Zener diode is connected in parallel with the output of a power supply, the diode limits the output voltage. The diode must have an adequate power rating to...
Filtering
Most dc-powered devices need something better—more pure—than the rough, pulsating dc that comes right out of a rectifier circuit. The pulsations (ripple) in the rectifier output can be eliminated by a filter. Capacitors Alone...
Voltage-Doubler Circuit
A full-wave voltage doubler power supply. Diodes and capacitors can be interconnected to deliver a dc output that is approximately twice the positive or negative peak ac input voltage. This is called a voltage-doubler...
Full-Wave Bridge Circuit
At A, the output of a half-wave rectifier. At B, the output of a fullwave rectifier. Note the difference in how the effective (eff ) voltages compare with the peak voltages. Another way to...
Full-Wave Center-Tap Circuit
At A, the output of a half-wave rectifier. At B, the output of a fullwave rectifier. Note the difference in how the effective (eff ) voltages compare with the peak voltages. A better scheme...
Half-Wave Circuit
At A, a half-wave rectifier circuit. At B, a full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit. At C, a full-wave bridge rectifier circuit. The simplest rectifier circuit, called the half-wave rectifier (above figure A), has a single...
Rectifier Diodes
Rectifier diodes are available in various sizes, intended for different purposes. Most rectifier diodes are made of silicon, and are known as silicon rectifiers. Some are fabricated from selenium, and are called selenium rectifiers....
Power Transformers
Power transformers can be categorized as step-down or step-up. As you remember, the output, or secondary, voltage of a step-down unit is lower than the input, or primary, voltage. The reverse is true for...