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Bob York, 2006-2009 Back to TOC

Hal f -Wave Rec t i f i er


V
out
V
in
V
out
V
in
Constant voltage drop model
Diode conducts only for positive input
voltages. An AC input with zero average
yields a non-sinusoidal output with a
non-zero DC component. The
conversion of AC to DC is called
rectification.
The conduction angle
c
is that part of
the cycle during which the diode is
conducting.
The average DC component is given by
T
Ideal diode model

c
0
1
( )
T
dc
V V t dt
T
=
}
V
dc
V
dc
d
v
V
out
V
in
Bob York, 2006-2009 Back to TOC
Hal f -Wave Rec t i f i er
Assume constant voltage drop model

c
( )
0
2
2
1 1
( ) sin
1
2
off
on
T t
dc out m d
t
m d c d
m m
V V t dt V t v dt
T T
V v v
V V
e
u
t
= =
(
= (
(

} }
d
v
V
out
V
in
T
( ) sin
in m
V t V t e =
( )
( )
0 otherwise
in d in d
out
V t v V v
V t
>

1
sin
d
on
m
v
t
V
e

| |
=
|
\ .
1
sin
d
off
m
v
t
V
e t

| |
=
|
\ .
1
( ) 2sin
d
c off on
m
v
t t
V
u e t

| |
= =
|
\ .
Conduction Angle
2
for
d
c d m
m
v
v V
V
u t ~
Average DC Value
2
2
1 for
2 2
m d d
dc d m
m m
V v v
V v V
V V
t
t
(
~ +
(


V
dc
Ideal rectifier:
0
0.318
d
c
m
dc m
v
V
V V
u t
t
=
~
= =
Bob York, 2006-2009 Back to TOC
Hal f -Wave Rec t i f i er
V
out
V
in
Suppose we reverse the diode: now
only the negative portion of the input
signal passes through
V
out
V
in
Ideal diode model
Constant voltage drop model
Other than the poarity reversal, all
math on conduction angle and DC
magnitude is identical
V
dc
V
dc

c
d
v
Bob York, 2006-2009 Back to TOC
Peak Det ec t or
V
out
V
in
Bob York, 2006-2009 Back to TOC
Peak -Det ec t or w i t h Load
V
out
V
in
C
10 k
C= 10 nF
C= 100 nF
C= 1000 nF
Any load or leakage path will discharge the
capacitor. In this case, the output will
depend on how the RC time constant
compares with the period of the input signal.
The plots at right consider the various
cases for the simple circuit above with
a 1kHz, 5V sinusoidal input
= RC
T = 1 mS
= 0.1 T
= T
= 10 T
For T, circuit acts like an ideal rectifier
For T, circuit acts like an ideal peak detector
Bob York, 2006-2009 Back to TOC
Peak -Det ec t or as an AM Demodul at or
Amplitude-modulated signal
Output of detector

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