We have all had difficulty testing diodes in-circuit. Most DMM’s have a diode Vf function that measures forward drop, but what is the normal voltage drop? Analog VOM’s attempt to measure resistance of ...

Many years ago I was using 2N918 transistors in an RF application. That transistor comes in a size TO-72 package, which has four leads, one each for the collector, the emitter, the base and the ...

A major cause of losses in a conventional power supply using a 50/60-Hz transformer is the bridge rectifier. This article shows how to build a “greener” rectifier, substantially reducing losses by ...

Everyone loves a full-wave bridge rectifier, but there’s no denying that they aren’t 100% efficient due to the diode voltage drop. Which isn’t to say that with some effort we cannot create an ideal ...

With Linear Technology’s LT4320 ideal-diode bridge controller, power supply designers can replace each of the four diodes in a conventional full-wave bridge rectifier with a low-loss N-channel MOSFET.

A working group of the international PV Quality Assurance Task Force has been undertaking research and testing initiatives aimed at improving the design and long-term reliability of module junction ...

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor has announced a family of active diodes which can reduce the 1.2V forward drop of 600V bridge rectifiers. “Both products are self-powered from the AC line and do not ...