East West University

Department of CSE

LAB REPORT
Course Code and Name:
CSE 251~Electronic Circuits

Experiment no: 02

Experiment name:
Half-Wave Diode Rectifier Circuit

Semester and Year: GROUP NO:

Spring2025 06

Name of Student: Course Instructor information:

1. Jagannath Banik
M. Saddam Hossain Khan
2. Md. Naimul Islam Rafi
3. Manha Mahbub Pushpita Senior Lecturer
Student Id:
Department of Computer Science &
1. 2023-2-60-144 Engineering
2. 2023-2-60-209
3. 2023-2-60-210

Date of Report Submitted: Pre-Lab Marks:

23-03-2025
Post Lab Marks:

TOTAL Marks:
ABSTRACT

In this experiment, we’re focusing on how a half-wave diode rectifier can change an alternating
current (AC) into a direct current (DC). The basic idea is that the diode only lets current flow in
one direction, which cuts the AC signal in half, leaving us with a kind of "pulsing" DC. While
this is a step toward DC power, the output still has fluctuations, or "ripples." To make the DC
output smoother and more stable, we add a capacitor across the load. This helps to reduce those
ripples and gives us a more consistent DC voltage. By the end of the experiment, we’ll have a
better understanding of how half-wave rectifiers work and how we can improve the DC output
with simple components like capacitors.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this experiment is to analyze the operation of a half-wave rectifier circuit, which
converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) by allowing current to pass through the
diode only during one half of the AC cycle. The experiment involves measuring the input and
output waveforms, calculating the rectifier efficiency, and evaluating the performance of the
half-wave rectifier in terms of its voltage, current characteristics, and ripple factor. Theoretical
predictions regarding the expected output waveform will be compared with the experimental
results to assess the accuracy and efficiency of the rectification process.
THEORY

A rectifier is a circuit that converts an AC voltage signal into a DC voltage signal. A half-wave
rectifier can only conduct during either the positive or negative half of the AC cycle and is built
using a single diode. As a result, the rectifier circuit typically provides DC voltage during only
half of the AC cycle, with no voltage during the other half. To improve this, the circuit can be
modified by adding a capacitor, which helps filter the output and reduce the peak-to-peak ripple
voltage. The peak-to-peak ripple decreases as the time constant (RC) increases, leading to a more
stable DC output. As the capacitor’s value increases, the DC voltage becomes smoother, with
less fluctuation or ripple.

Experimental Datasheet
POST-LAB REPORT QUESTION-ANSWER:

1. Compare the measured value of Δ𝑉𝑝 with the built-in voltage of Expt 1.

Solution:

Measured value of peak-to-peak voltage , Δ𝑉𝑝 = 0. 480𝑉

Built-in voltage = 0. 55𝑉

Difference = (0. 55 − 0. 48)𝑉 = 0. 07𝑉

2. Compare your measured Δ𝑡 with your prelab value and make a comment.

Solution:

Measured conduction time Δ𝑡 = 100µ 𝑠𝑒𝑐

Calculated pre-lab conduction time Δ𝑡 = 71. 778µ 𝑠𝑒𝑐

The difference between the measured and calculated value = (100 − 71. 778) = 28µ 𝑠𝑒c

Thus, the calculated and measured conduction time has a difference of 28µ 𝑠𝑒𝑐

2𝑉ͬͬ𝑟ͬ
3. Calculate the peak-to-peak ripple voltage from the formula 𝓌Δ𝑡 = 𝑉𝑝
and compare it.with
your measured data and prelab data and make a comment.

Solution:

We know,

2𝑉ͬͬͬ𝑟
𝓌Δ𝑡 = 𝑉𝑝

From the experiment , 𝑉ͬͬ𝑟ͬ = 0. 480𝑉.

The measured 𝑉ͬͬ𝑟ͬ = 0. 378𝑉.

Pre-lab Value 𝑉ͬͬ𝑟ͬ = 0. 5𝑉.

Difference between the calculated value and measured value= (0. 5 − 0. 378) = 0. 121 V
Difference between pre-lab value and measured value = (0. 5 − 0. 378) = 0. 121 V . So all of
our values of peak to peak ripple voltage differs slightly.

𝑉ͬͬ𝑟ͬ
4.Calculate the average output voltage from 𝑉о = 𝑉𝑝 − 2
and compare it with the measurement.

𝑉ͬͬͬ𝑟
The average output voltage, 𝑉о = 𝑉𝑝 − 2
= 4. 811

Measured average output voltage, 𝑉о = 3. 82𝑉

Difference: 0.991v.

There is a massive difference between the measured and calculated values.

𝑉о
5. With 𝐼ʟ = 𝑅
, calculate the average and maximum diode currents using the formulas

2𝑉ͬͬͬ𝑟 2𝑉ͬͬͬ𝑟
𝑖ᴅ𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 𝐼ʟ(1 + π 𝑉𝑝
) and 𝑖ᴅ𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐼ʟ(1 + 2π 𝑉𝑝
) and measured value of Vr

and compare with your pre-lab values and make a comment.

Solution:
𝑉о
𝐼ʟ = 𝑅
= 4. 811𝑚𝐴

2𝑉ͬͬ𝑟ͬ
𝑖ᴅ𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 𝐼ʟ(1 + π 𝑉𝑝
) = 42. 747𝑚𝐴

2𝑉ͬͬͬ𝑟
𝑖ᴅ𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐼ʟ(1 + 2π 𝑉𝑝
) =85.494mA

𝑉ͬͬͬ𝑟 = 0. 360𝑉

From pre-lab

𝑖ᴅ𝑎𝑣𝑔 = 71. 4𝑚𝐴

𝑖ᴅ𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 1. 382𝑚𝐴

Vr=0.5V
Difference: Δ𝑖ᴅ𝑎𝑣𝑔=28.653mA

∆IDmax =14.094mA

ΔVr=0.14V

6. Simulate the half-wave rectifier circuit in PSPICE for 𝐶 = 10 𝐹 and submit the input
and output plots (on sample graph). Use transient analysis of PSPICE for 4 cycles of input
(4 ms). Modify the diode parameters following the same procedure and the same
parameters values used in Experiment 1.

Solution:
CONCLUSIONS

The results of this experiment show that a half-wave rectifier only allows current to pass during
one half of an AC sinusoidal voltage cycle. The diode acts as a one-way rectifier, conducting
only during the positive or negative half-cycle. By adding a capacitor, the output can be
smoothed into a more stable DC voltage stream. In this experiment, we used an oscilloscope to
generate a sinusoidal signal and measure the peak-to-peak and ripple voltages, which helped us
observe the characteristics of the rectified voltage and the effect of the capacitor.

However, the experiment did not produce results as expected. There were likely errors in
configuring the oscilloscope and function generator, as indicated by the differences between the
observed and calculated values. These discrepancies highlight the importance of accurate setup
and calibration. To achieve more reliable results, careful attention must be paid to ensure that the
experimental setup aligns closely with the theoretical predictions.

PRE-LABS