AC/DC Calc
rectifier basics
Single-Phase vs Three-Phase Rectifiers: Voltage and Ripple
Compare bridge topology, line-to-line input voltage, six-pulse timing, capacitor charging, and the assumptions behind three-phase output estimates.
rectifier basics
Explanations and examples to help you understand rectifier output.
worked examples
AC to DC calculator worked examples: average, peak, and ripple
Follow complete numerical examples for filtered and ideal rectifier models, including a rejected high-ripple case.
rectifier basics
AC to DC Formulas: Choose the Circuit Before the Multiplier
Compare ideal rectifier averages and capacitor-filtered bridge estimates using clear assumptions and worked examples.
rectifier basics
Why AC voltage alone cannot tell you the available DC current
Separate output voltage estimates from load current, transformer capacity, power, and component stress.
worked examples
Bridge rectifiers at 50 Hz and 60 Hz: what changes?
Compare charging intervals, ripple frequency, and simplified capacitor ripple while holding the other inputs constant.
rectifier basics
Bridge rectifier diode losses: what a two-drop estimate means
Understand the useful 2Vf voltage model and why it does not replace current-waveform or thermal analysis.
rectifier basics
Capacitor Ripple Explained: What Happens Between Charging Peaks
Derive bridge ripple from charge balance, work through units, and understand where the small-ripple approximation stops being useful.
component models
Diode Forward Voltage Drop: Why the Calculator Needs an Assumption
Understand per-diode versus bridge drop, current and temperature dependence, and the limitations of a fixed-drop rectifier estimate.
rectifier basics
Full-Wave Bridge Rectifiers: Output Waveform, Average, and Filtering
Understand what a bridge changes, why two diode drops appear, and how its ideal average differs from a capacitor-filtered estimate.
rectifier basics
Half-Wave vs Full-Wave Rectifiers: Compare the Same Quantities
Compare complete-cycle averages, peaks, RMS values, pulse timing, and filtering assumptions without mixing different circuit models.
rectifier basics
Rectifier Ripple Frequency: Why Full-Wave Output Repeats at 2f
Separate AC input frequency, rectified pulse repetition, ripple magnitude, and waveform harmonics using timing diagrams and worked examples.
voltage measurement
RMS, Peak, and Average Voltage: Keep the Measurement Convention
Distinguish sine-wave RMS, peak, signed average, rectified average, and filtered estimates before calculating AC to DC output.
rectifier basics
Transformer RMS voltage and rectifiers: use the right input
Interpret secondary RMS voltage, waveform peaks, and regulation before estimating rectifier output.
power supply concepts
Unregulated vs regulated DC supplies: where the rectifier model ends
Understand why a rectifier estimate is not a prediction of an adapter or regulated output.