EEE DEPARTMENT

ECE103 / T191
EXPERIMENT NO. 3

Submitted by: Etorma, Ariston A.

Course/Year: BSCpE/2nd
Date of Experiment: December 4, 2015
Date of Submission: December 11, 2015

ENGR. MELANNIE MENDOZA

Professor

II. Objective

To become familiar with half-wave and full-wave rectification

III. Introduction
The Half wave rectifier is a circuit, which converts an AC voltage to DC voltage.
It can be used to obtain the desired level of dc voltage (using step up or step down
transformers). It provides isolation from the power line. During the positive half cycle of
the input voltage the polarity of the voltage across the secondary forward biases the
diode. The forward biased diode offers a very low resistance and hence the voltage drop
across it is very small. During the negative half cycle of the input voltage the polarity of
the secondary voltage gets reversed. As a result, the diode is reverse biased. Practically
no current flows through the circuit and almost no voltage is developed across the
resistor. All input voltage appears across the diode. In this lab we address about the
characteristics of half wave diode rectifier circuits. In half wave rectification of a singlephase supply, either the positive or negative half of the AC wave is passed, while the
other half is blocked. Because only one half of the input waveform reaches the output,
mean voltage is lower. Half-wave rectifiers produce far more ripple than full-wave
rectifiers. In view of this advantage, the half wave rectifier circuit can often be seen
within large items of electronics equipment. The operation of a half wave rectifier is
pretty simple. From the theory part, you should know that a pn junction diode conducts
current only in 1 direction. In other words, a pn junction diode conducts current only
when it is forward biased. The same principle is made use of in a half wave rectifier to
convert AC to DC. The input we give here is an alternating current. This input voltage is
stepped down using a transformer. The reduced voltage is fed to the diode D and load
resistance RL. During the positive half cycles of the input wave, the diode D will be
forward biased and during the negative half cycles of input wave, the diode D will be
reverse biased. We take the output across load resistor RL. Since the diode passes current
only during one half cycle of the input wave, we get an output as shown in diagram. The
output is positive and significant during the positive half cycles of input wave. At the
same time output is zero or insignificant during negative half cycles of input wave. This
is called half wave rectification.

IV. Discussion
V. Procedure
PART 1. Threshold Voltage
Choose one of the four silicon diodes and determine the threshold voltage, VT, using
the diode-checking capability of the DMM.
VT =
PART 2. Half-Wave Rectification
a) Construct the circuit of Fig.2.2 using the chosen diode of Part 1. Record the measured
value of the resistance R. set the function generator to 1000 Hz, 8 Vp-p sinusoidal voltage
using the oscilloscope.

Figure 2.2 half wave rectifier

b) The sinusoidal input of fig2.2 has been plotted on the screen of fig.2.3.Figure 2.3

Vertical Sensitivity=
Horizontal Sensitivity=
c) Using the threshold voltage VT of Part 1, determine the theoretical output voltage vO
for the circuit of fig 2.2 and sketch the waveform on fig 2.3 for one full cycle using the
same sensitivities employed in Part 2(b). Indicate maximum and minimum values.

d) Using the oscilloscope with the DC position, obtain the voltage vO and sketch the
waveform on fig.2.4. Before viewing vO be sure to set the vO = 0 V line using the GND
position of the coupling switch.

e) Calculate the DC level of the half-wave rectifier signal of Part 2(d) using eq.2.1
VDC (calculated) =
f) Measure the DC level of vo using the DC scale of the DMM and find the percent
difference between the measured value and the calculated value of part 2(e) using the
following equation:

VDC (measured) =
(% Difference) =
g) Reverse the diode of fig.2.2 and sketch the output waveform obtained using the
oscilloscope on fig.4.5 be sure the coupling is in the DC position.

h) Calculate and measure the DC level of resulting waveform of fig.4.5. Insert the proper
sign for the polarity of VDC as defined by fig.4.3 using eq.2.1

VDC (calculated) =
VDC (measured) =
PART 3. Half-Wave Rectification (continued)
a) Construct the network of fig.2.6. Record the measured value of resistor R.

b) Using the threshold voltage of Part 1, determine the theoretical output voltage vo
for fig.2.6 and sketch the waveform on fig.2.7 for one full cycle. Indicate the
maximum and minimum values on the output waveform.

c) Using the oscilloscope with the coupling switch in the DC position, obtain the
voltage vo and sketch the waveform on fig.2.8.

d) Calculate the DC level of the waveform of fig.2.8 using the following equation:

VDC (calculated) =
e) Measure the output DC voltage with the DC scale of the DMM and calculate the
percent difference using the same equation appearing in Part 2(f).

VDC (measured) =
(% Difference) =

VI. Sample Computation

VII. Problems
VIII. Interpretation of Data
IX. Conclusion
X. References
http://akademik.bahcesehir.edu.tr/eee2116/documents/expWeek3NEW.pdf
http://www.circuitstoday.com/half-wave-rectifiers
http://www.evalidate.in/lab1/pages/diode/DiodeHalfwave/DiodeHalfwave_I.html
XI. Data Sheet

XII. Index