Electrical Engineering › Section P · Semiconductor theory, diodes, and transistors › Topic P.4
Diode basics, meter checks, ratings, and rectifier circuits
A diode is a one-way valve for current, and its most important job is rectification: turning the alternating voltage from the mains into the one-directional voltage electronics need. This topic covers how a diode behaves in a circuit, how to test one, how to read its ratings, and the rectifier circuits built from it.
In this topic
- A one-way valve
- Forward voltage and simple models
- The diode equation
- Worked example: how little the drop changes
- Checking a diode with a meter
- Reading a datasheet
- Half-wave rectification
- Full-wave: centre-tap and bridge
- Worked example: a bridge from a 12 V winding
- Polyphase rectifiers
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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