Second, in contrast to all previous examples, the output waveform in
this circuit is a gross distortion of the input waveform. Note in
particular that the input voltage waveform has no average value, (no DC
value), whereas the output has a significant DC component, roughly 0.3
Eo. The DC motors in most toys, for example, will run nicely if
connected across the resistor in the circuit of Figure 4.21a, whereas
they will not run if driven directly by the sinusoid
vI(t). This circuit is called a half-wave
rectifier, because it reproduces only half of the input wave.
Rectifiers are present in power supplies of most electronic equipment to
generate DC from the 60-Hz ‘‘sinusoidal’’ wave from 110-V AC power
line.
