Editing Diode bridge (section)

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{{Short description|Circuit arrangement of four diodes}}
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{{Infobox electronic component
| name              = Diode bridge
| image             = Brueckengleichrichter IMGP5380.jpg
| caption           = Diode bridge in various packages
| type              = [[Semiconductor]]
| working_principle =
| invented          = [[Karol Pollak]] in 1895
| first_produced    = 
| pins              =
| symbol            = [[Image:Diode_bridge.svg|200px]]
| symbol_caption    = 2 [[alternating-current]] (AC) inputs converted into 2 [[direct-current]] (DC) outputs
}}
[[Image:Diode bridge Diodový mostík.jpg|thumb|right|A hand-made diode bridge. The silver band on the diodes indicates the [[cathode]] side of the diode.]]

A '''diode bridge''' is a [[bridge circuit|bridge]] rectifier circuit of four [[diode]]s that is used in the process of converting [[alternating current]] (AC) from the input terminals to direct current (DC, i.e. fixed [[Electrical polarity|polarity]]) on the output terminals. Its function is to convert the negative voltage portions of the AC waveform to positive voltage, after which a [[low-pass filter]] can be used to smooth the result into DC.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Yazdani |first1=Amirnaser |title=Voltage-Sourced Converters in Power Systems Modeling, Control, and Applications |last2=Iravani |first2=Reza |date=15 February 2010 |publisher=Willey |isbn=9780470521564 |language=English}}</ref>

When used in its most common application, for conversion of an [[alternating-current]] (AC) input into a [[direct-current]] (DC) output, it is known as a '''bridge rectifier'''. A bridge [[rectifier]] provides [[Rectifier#Full-wave rectification|full-wave rectification]] from a two-wire AC input, resulting in lower cost and weight as compared to a rectifier with a three-wire input from a [[transformer]] with a [[Center tap|center-tapped]] secondary winding.<ref name=AOE>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Paul |last2=Hill |first2=Winfield |title=The Art of Electronics |url=https://archive.org/details/artofelectronics00horo |url-access=registration |edition=Second |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1989 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/artofelectronics00horo/page/44 44–47] |isbn=0-521-37095-7}}</ref>

Prior to the availability of [[integrated circuit]]s, a bridge rectifier was constructed from separate diodes. Since about 1950, a single four-terminal component containing the four diodes connected in a bridge configuration has been available and is now available with various [[voltage]] and current ratings.

Diodes are also used in bridge topologies along with capacitors as [[voltage multiplier]]s.