Täysiaaltoilmaisimet

Täysiaaltoilmaisimet, also known as full-wave rectifiers, are electronic circuits designed to convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) by utilizing both the positive and negative halves of the AC waveform. This contrasts with half-wave rectifiers, which only utilize one half of the waveform and therefore discard the other half. The primary function of a rectifier is to allow current to flow in only one direction.

There are two main types of full-wave rectifiers: the center-tapped full-wave rectifier and the bridge full-wave rectifier. The center-tapped rectifier uses a transformer with a tap in the middle of its secondary winding and two diodes. The bridge rectifier, which is more commonly used, employs four diodes arranged in a bridge configuration and does not require a center-tapped transformer.

In a center-tapped rectifier, during the positive half-cycle of the AC input, one diode conducts, and during the negative half-cycle, the other diode conducts, resulting in a pulsating DC output. The bridge rectifier achieves the same result by directing the current through a different pair of diodes during each half-cycle.

The output of a full-wave rectifier is a pulsating DC voltage that alternates between zero and a peak value. This pulsating DC is often smoothed using a filter capacitor, which stores charge when the voltage is high and discharges it when the voltage drops, thereby reducing the ripple and producing a more constant DC output. Täysiaaltoilmaisimet are essential components in power supply circuits for various electronic devices, enabling them to operate on DC power derived from AC mains.