question with diode rectification

[dighn]

last friday i and another person were doing a lab on diode rectification. due to some problem we ask somebody in a more project-oriented ee program for help. then we sort of got into an argument. here's the circuit:

circuit here
(ignore the numerical values)

he kept saying we could not get a full wave rectification because there is only one sine wave say instead of a center-tapped transformers from which you can get 2 sine waves 180 out of phase with respect to the center tap. now i undertsand that part but i was not trying to get a full wave rectification with respct to ground, but only "a" with respect to "b". i explained but he answered it very vaguely and still saying "There is only one sine wave."

i honestly do not see why "a" should not have a full wave with respect to "b". for the first half of a cycle, a is positive, b is 0 and for the other half of a cycle, b is negative and a is positive so a should always be + with respect to b with a full wave, right?

 

[TuxDave]

Yeah, based on my first glance, current can only flow from A to B (based on the diodes) and so A should always be higher than B.

 

[etech]

Nice half-wave rectification circuit you have there.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: etech
Nice half-wave rectification circuit you have there.

could u please explain why it's half-wave between "a" and "b"? what am i missing here?

(btw this is not my circuit, it's part of my lab and it's supposed to be full wave)

 

[TuxDave]

it looks like a full wave one to me. Now all you need are some level shifters to make sure that there's no dead zone due to the diode turn on voltage.

<edit>
Heck... why not just SPICE the entire thing, SPICE is always right.

 

[etech]

I'm going to say whoops, I looked to closely and was expecting a center tapped transformer. That should give you a full-wave output.

Sorry, Sunday afternoon and half-asleep.

 

[Werty]

i say this is a full wave circuit.... 🙂

 

[RossGr]

full wave.