Re: Toroidal transformer ratings?? What after being rectified?

An ideal diode has a perfect linear response. In reality the graph
of diode current vs. diode voltage is non-linear in the portion
leading up to a forward bias of .7 volts or so. Once it reaches
that point the graph it is perfectly linear. Unless you are doing
small signal analysis, this very small non-linear response region
is of no consequence in power supply design, and the device response
can be considered perfectly linear. Linear, by definition, is a
response that can be modeled by a first order equation. A non-linear
response would be say the decibel scale used to measure audio levels.
The scale is based on the fact that power and audio levels are related
on a logarithmic basis.

Scott

> It conducts current one way, and not the other! If that isn't

non-linear

> behavior, I can't imagine what is. In the power supply sense, it

means that

> the supply does not draw a sine-wave current from the line. Only linear
> loads can draw a sine wave, although the phase of the current may be

shifted

> with respect to the voltage. A rectifier supply draws pulses of

current

> near the
> voltage peak of the line waveform. The current vs. voltage plot of a
> rectifier
> looks like this :
>
> | . /
> | . /
> | . /
> | . /
> | ./
> I |___________________.....................
> | .
> | .
> | .
> | .
> | .
> ________________________________________
> V
>
> So, you see there is an abrupt discontinuity in the graph, or "knee"

right

> around zero, where the apparent resistance changes from a high value
> in the negative-bias region left of the vertical axis to a much lower
> resistance on the right. That is non-linear.
>
> Jon