Supplies: ripple and the zener window

Supplies: ripple and the zener window

• The bridge conducts both half-cycles at a cost of 1.4 V (two diodes at a time) and every diode must survive one secondary peak as peak inverse voltage. The filter capacitor supplies the load between recharge peaks: ripple $\Delta V = I_{load}/(2fC)$.
• The zener diode holds the voltage while its series resistor absorbs the surplus — a complete design needs one inequality from EACH end of the load range.

{exercise:uni-ee5x-supply}