5.2.1 - The rectifying circuit
Illustration of M. Planté pile made in France circa 1860

At the beginning the electrical supply was generated through chemical reactions obtained by the use of the electrical pile invented in 1860 by A. Volta, later named as battery.
However, in spite of the technological improvement piles and later batteries still presented several operational handicaps such as the polarization or even the maintainance of their parts and electrodes. Since it was necessary that either the valve and later the transistor should use direct current as power supplies, in the later twenties appeared the first rectifying circuits capable to convert alternate to direct current.
Since then equipments such as: radios, TVs and so on were supplied with a rectifying circuit later named as power supply.
In this first type of circuit was used the well known rectifying valves. The first ones were manufactured using gases and later high vacuum technology. The so- called semi-conductors devices or diodes replaced them soon.

Half-wave rectifying circuit in which the capacitor is loaded for the maximum peak of the line tension. In this circuit the undulation is great. So, that the positive part of the sinusoide is used only. This circuit is used for the receivers for operation in such a way in alternating current as continuous.
Schematic of the full wave rectifying circuit