A diode is a common electrical device that restricts flow of an electrical
current. It can be simply thought of as a check valve for an electrical circuit.
Any circuit that requires flow in a particular direction will contain diodes.
There are several different uses for diodes in the different electrical devices
listed below.
Power Conversion- Rectifiers are power converters constructed from
diodes. Diodes are used to convert alternating current (AC) power to direct
current (DC) power. In voltage multipliers, diodes are used to produce the
reverse reaction, converting DC electricity into AC.
Over Voltage Protection - Diodes are commonly used in circuits and
other electronic devices to prevent high voltages from damaging sensitive
material. Integrated circuits that are used in computers use diodes to prevent
external voltages from damaging sensitive transistors.
Diodes are also used in relay circuits and other devices to
de-energize components rapidly to avoid the voltage spikes that would otherwise
occur.
Temperature Measuring- In some cases,
diodes
can be used as temperature measuring devices. When temperature drops, the
voltage passing through the diode changes, thus triggering a reaction.
Radio Demodulation- Radio demodulation was the first practical use
for the diode. Diodes are used for amplitude modulated (AM) radio broadcast
demodulation. A radio signal consists of alternating positive and negative peaks
of voltage, and the diode rectifies the signal to that of the desired audio
signal. The signal is then gathered and fed into a transducer which produces
sound.
About Author :
Angela Oliver is an author for
HRent.com.
H and R Enterprises specializes in the distribution of hard to find and obsolete
electronic components. Visit the site to view a complete inventory of electronic
components including various
diodes.
Article Source : Articleburn.com