NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

LAB REPORT
EEE 111L – Basic Electronics Laboratory

Experiment No. 02

Experiment Name Diode Rectifier Circuits

Course EEE 111L

Name ______________________________

Student ID ______________________________

Section ______________________________

Group No. ______________________________

Date Performed ______________________________

Date Submitted ______________________________

Instructor ______________________________
1. Objective

The objective of this experiment is to study and analyze the behavior of different types of diode
rectifier circuits — specifically the half-wave rectifier and the full-wave bridge rectifier. The
experiment also investigates the effect of filter capacitors (0.22 µF and 10 µF) on the output
waveform and the influence of varying input signal frequency on the rectified output.

2. List of Equipment and Components

Serial No. Component / Equipment Specification Quantity

1 p-n Junction Diode 1N4007 4 pieces

2 Resistor 10 KΩ 1 piece

3 Capacitor 0.22 µF, 10 µF 1 piece each

4 Signal Generator — 1 unit

5 Trainer Board (Breadboard) — 1 unit

6 Oscilloscope — 1 unit

7 Digital Multimeter — 1 unit

8 Chords and Wires — As required

3. Theory

A rectifier is an electronic circuit that converts an alternating current (AC) signal into a direct
current (DC) signal. A diode allows current to flow only during its forward-bias condition. When
a diode is reverse-biased, it effectively acts as an open circuit and blocks current flow. This
unidirectional property is exploited in rectifier circuits.

When an AC (sinusoidal) voltage is applied to a diode, the diode conducts only during the
half-cycle that forward-biases it. The other half-cycle is blocked. As a result, the load receives a
pulsating unidirectional (DC) voltage. Diode rectifiers are broadly categorized as:
• Half-wave rectifier
• Full-wave rectifier

3.1 Half-Wave Rectifier

A half-wave rectifier uses a single diode. During the positive half-cycle of the input, the diode
is forward-biased and conducts, allowing the positive half of the sinusoidal signal to appear
across the load. During the negative half-cycle, the diode is reverse-biased and no current
flows, so the output is zero. The output is therefore a series of positive pulses separated by
gaps.
The main disadvantages of a half-wave rectifier are:
• The load receives only approximately half the input power.
• The average DC output voltage is relatively low.
• The output has a large ripple, making it far from smooth DC.

Waveform sketches — Half-Wave Rectifier (for reference):

Half-Wave Rectifier
Input Signal Output — No Capacitor
Vs Vo

t t

Half-Wave Rectifier
Input Signal Output — With 0.22 µF
Vs Vo

t t

Half-Wave Rectifier
Input Signal Output — With 10 µF
Vs Vo

t t

3.2 Full-Wave Rectifier

In a full-wave rectifier, both half-cycles of the AC input appear in the output as positive pulses.
This results in a higher average DC voltage, lower ripple, and better power utilization compared
to the half-wave rectifier. Two common configurations exist:

(a) Full-Wave Rectifier Using Center-Tapped Transformer: Two diodes are connected to the
ends of a center-tapped secondary winding. On each half-cycle, one diode conducts while the
other is reverse-biased, producing a rectified output on both half-cycles. Advantages include
reduced power wastage, higher DC output, and a smoother waveform. However, the
transformer makes the circuit bulky and less cost-effective.

(b) Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier: Four diodes are arranged in a bridge configuration. During the
positive half-cycle, two diodes (D1 and D3) conduct; during the negative half-cycle, the other
two (D2 and D4) conduct. In both cases, current flows through the load in the same direction,
giving a full-wave rectified output without requiring a center-tapped transformer.

Waveform sketches — Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier (for reference):

Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier

Input Signal Output — No Capacitor
Vs Vo

t t

Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier

Input Signal Output — With 0.22 µF
Vs Vo

t t

Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier

Input Signal Output — With 10 µF
Vs Vo

t t

3.3 Filter Capacitor

A filter capacitor placed in parallel with the load reduces the ripple in the rectified output. During
the conducting half-cycle the capacitor charges to the peak voltage; during the non-conducting
interval it discharges slowly through the load, maintaining a more nearly constant output
voltage. A larger capacitance discharges more slowly and therefore produces a smoother
(lower ripple) DC output. Consequently, the 10 µF capacitor produces a noticeably smoother
output than the 0.22 µF capacitor.

3.4 Effect of Input Signal Frequency

When a filter capacitor is used, the ripple frequency equals the rectified-output frequency
(equal to the input frequency for half-wave, and twice the input frequency for full-wave). At
lower frequencies the capacitor has more time to discharge between successive peaks,
resulting in larger ripple and a less smooth output. At higher frequencies the capacitor barely
discharges between peaks, yielding a very smooth, near-DC output.
4. Circuit Diagram

Circuit diagrams were simulated using NI Multisim. The two experimental configurations are
shown below (Fig. 2.4 – Half-Wave, Fig. 2.5 – Full-Wave Bridge).

[Attach Multisim screenshot(s) here — printed or pasted neatly]

5. Results / Data Collection

The following table summarizes the peak-to-peak output voltage (Vo(p-p)) measured on the
oscilloscope for different capacitor values and rectifier types.

Half-Wave Rectifier Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier

Condition
(Fig 2.4) (Fig 2.5)

V_o (p–p) without capacitor

V_o (p–p) with 0.22 µF capacitor

V_o (p–p) with 10 µF capacitor

Note: Fill in measured Vo(p–p) values from your oscilloscope readings. Theoretical R = 10 kΩ; record
measured R from multimeter as well.

Waveform Graphs
Hand-draw the observed waveforms (input and output) on the graph papers provided in the lab
manual (graphs a–f) with proper axis labels and scale. Ensure at least 70% of the graph paper
area is utilized.

[Attach hand-drawn graph paper sheets here.]

6. Questions and Answers

Q1. For Fig 2.4 and Fig 2.5, draw the input-output wave-shape without capacitor, with
0.22 µF capacitor and 10 µF capacitor.
Answer: The wave-shapes are drawn on the provided graph papers (graphs a–f). In the
half-wave case (without capacitor) the output shows only the positive half-cycles; gaps appear
where the negative half-cycles were blocked. Adding 0.22 µF partially fills the gaps, while 10 µF
produces a nearly smooth DC level with very small ripple. For the full-wave bridge, the output
(without capacitor) shows both half-cycles rectified into continuous positive humps at twice the
input frequency. A 0.22 µF capacitor reduces the ripple noticeably, and 10 µF produces an
almost flat DC output.

Q2. Compare the change in the wave-shape and peak-to-peak values for no capacitor at
the output to 0.22 µF to 10 µF.
Answer: Without a capacitor the output ripple is maximum — the Vo(p–p) is essentially equal
to the peak output voltage. Adding the 0.22 µF capacitor charges to the peak and then partially
discharges, reducing Vo(p–p) and smoothing the waveform. The 10 µF capacitor discharges far
more slowly, so Vo(p–p) drops significantly further and the output approaches a steady DC
level. In summary, as capacitance increases the peak-to-peak ripple decreases and the
average DC output voltage increases closer to the peak value.

Q3. Explain the effect on the output signal for changing the frequency of the input
signal.
Answer: When a filter capacitor is present, lowering the frequency gives the capacitor more
time to discharge between successive peaks, increasing ripple and reducing the average
output voltage. Raising the frequency above 1 kHz shortens the discharge interval, so the
capacitor barely discharges before being recharged, producing a smoother and higher average
output. Without a capacitor, changing frequency does not affect the peak output voltage but
changes how many pulses appear per unit time.

Q4. Between half wave and full wave, which circuit produces smoother output? Briefly
explain in context with your data collection.
Answer: The full-wave bridge rectifier produces a smoother output. Because it utilizes both
half-cycles of the AC input, its ripple frequency is twice that of the half-wave rectifier. A higher
ripple frequency means the capacitor discharges for a shorter time between pulses, resulting in
smaller ripple voltage and a higher average DC level. This is confirmed by the data: the Vo(p–p)
values measured for the full-wave circuit (Fig 2.5) are consistently lower than those for the
half-wave circuit (Fig 2.4) under identical capacitor conditions, indicating less ripple and a
steadier DC output.
7. Discussion

This experiment provided hands-on understanding of how a p-n junction diode's rectifying
property can be used to convert AC signals into DC. The half-wave rectifier demonstrated that
a single diode blocks the negative half of the input sinusoid, producing positive pulses at the
load. The full-wave bridge configuration — using four diodes — ensured that both half-cycles
contributed to the output, yielding a higher average output voltage and reduced ripple
compared to the half-wave circuit.

The effect of the filter capacitor was clearly observed. With no capacitor, the output voltage
dropped to zero between successive pulses (or near-zero in the full-wave case). Adding the
0.22 µF capacitor visibly reduced the dip between pulses, as the capacitor discharged slowly
through the 10 kΩ load. Switching to the larger 10 µF capacitor significantly smoothed the
output further, because the RC time constant (τ = RC = 10 kΩ × 10 µF = 100 ms) was much
larger than the period of the input signal (T = 1 ms at 1 kHz), so the capacitor barely discharged
before the next charging pulse arrived.

The frequency variation test confirmed theoretical expectations: at frequencies lower than 1
kHz, the longer period allowed the capacitor to discharge more, increasing ripple. At
frequencies above 1 kHz, the output became noticeably smoother, corroborating the inverse
relationship between input frequency and output ripple.

The measured resistance of the 10 kΩ resistor was slightly different from its nominal value due
to component tolerance (typically ±5% or ±10%). Any discrepancy in the measured peak output
voltage compared to the theoretical value (Vpeak,out ≈ Vpeak,in − 0.7 V for one diode drop, or −
1.4 V for the bridge) is attributable to the forward voltage drop of the 1N4007 diode (≈ 0.7 V)
and minor loading effects.

Overall, the experiment successfully demonstrated the fundamental principles of diode

rectification and capacitor filtering. The full-wave bridge rectifier with a 10 µF filter capacitor
produced the smoothest output, making it the most practical configuration for DC power supply
applications.