What is a half wave rectifier?

The Half wave rectifier is a circuit, which converts an ac voltage to dc voltage. In the Half wave rectifier circuit shown above the transformer serves two purposes. It can be used to obtain the desired level of dc voltage (using step up or step down transformers). read more

In Half Wave Rectifier, when AC supply is applied at the input, positive half cycle appears across the load, whereas the negative half cycle is suppressed. This can be done by using the semiconductor PN – junction diode. read more

Half wave rectifier is the type of rectifier that rectifies only one half cycle of the waveform i.e. either positive or negative cycle. It is nothing more than a single p-n junction diode connected in series to the load resistor. read more

Since only half-cycles of the input wave are used, it is called a half wave rectifier. Half Wave Rectifier Theory. Rectification is an application of the pn junction diode. A half wave rectifier is a device which makes use of key properties of a pn junction diode. read more