Diode bridge

A circuit of four diodes arranged so that both halves of an alternating-current input produce current in the same direction through a load. Its output is full-wave pulsating direct current.

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Full-wave rectifier: A rectifier that uses both half-cycles of an alternating-current input to produce unidirectional output. A diode bridge is the four-diode form of this broader rectifier circuit.
Diode: A two-terminal electronic component that conducts preferentially in one direction. Each bridge element directs current along a permitted path.
Linear power supply: A power supply that uses a transformer and linear regulation to provide a stable output voltage. Its rectifier stage commonly uses a diode bridge before filtering and regulation.
Center-tapped full-wave rectifier: A full-wave rectifier that uses a center-tapped transformer winding and two diodes. It rectifies both half-cycles without a four-diode bridge, but requires a center tap.
Half-wave rectifier: A rectifier that passes one half-cycle of an alternating-current input and blocks the other. Unlike a bridge, it leaves one input half-cycle unused.
Alternating current: Electric current whose direction periodically reverses. Its reversing direction is the input condition the bridge handles.
Bridge rectifier module: A packaged component containing four diodes connected as a bridge rectifier. It provides the same bridge circuit in a single component package.
Three-phase rectifier: A rectifier circuit that converts three-phase alternating current into unidirectional output. Its six-diode bridge extends bridge rectification to three-phase supplies.
Rectifier: An electrical circuit that converts alternating current into unidirectional current. The bridge is a common implementation of this broader circuit function.
Direct current: Electric current that flows in one direction, even if its magnitude varies. The bridge’s output has this one-way direction but remains pulsating.