tripler

A tripler is a circuit or device that generates three times a given input value, most often in voltage or frequency. In electronics, a voltage tripler uses diodes and capacitors arranged in a cascade to convert an AC input into a DC output with a magnitude close to three times the input peak voltage. Two common implementations are the half-wave tripler and the full-wave tripler, based on Villard-type or Delon-type configurations. In a half-wave voltage tripler, capacitors are charged on alternate half-cycles and stacked to produce a higher DC output. A full-wave tripler uses both halves of the input waveform to increase efficiency and voltage.

For frequency tripling, nonlinear circuits generate the third harmonic of an input signal and then filter out other harmonics. In RF and microwave design, frequency tripler stages may use diodes, transistors, or nonlinear transmission lines to produce a signal at three times the input frequency, often with low phase noise and adequate suppression of the fundamental and other harmonics.

Voltage multipliers like triplers are used in applications requiring high DC voltages from relatively low-voltage sources, such as CRTs, high-voltage test rigs, or pulse generators, and historically in nuclear and particle physics instrumentation. Modern power supplies may incorporate tripler stages in specialized contexts, though efficiency and regulation can be challenging at higher loads.

Notes: Output characteristics include high output impedance and sensitivity to load. Diode capacitance, leakage, and transformer or source impedance influence performance.

See also: voltage multiplier, Villard cascade, Delon circuit, frequency multiplier.