ABSTRACT
A good understanding of diode's characteristics and operation allows the designer to determine correctly the stress and power losses in the circuit. By choosing the best available device he can minimize the stress and improve the reliability. The performance characteristics of diodes are discussed below. An ideal diode would be one, which completely blocks the voltage of reverse polarity and allows the current flow without losses when voltage of an opposite polarity is applied. It would have no reactive components and follow the simple voltage — current relationship developed by W. Shockley. Figure 2-19 illustrates the I/V characteristics of ideal diode. In reality the diodes do not follow the ideal behavior.
