A rectifier circuit comprises a transformer having a primary winding connected to an an AC power source, a first diode whose anode is connected through a first capacitor to one end of a secondar winding of the transformer, a second diode whose cathode is connected through the first capacitor to the one end of the secondary winding, and a second capacitor connected between the cathode of the first diode and the anode of the second diode. A third capacitor is connected between the anode of the second diode and the other end of the secondary winding, and a third diode is connected between the anode of the second diode and the second capacitor and in the same rectifying direction as those of the first and second diodes, and the tap of the secondary winding is grounded.

A high voltage power supply that produces a relatively high current at a relatively low voltage D.C. output and a relatively low current at a relatively high voltage D.C. output is driven from a common transformer winding. The low voltage is produced by a rectifier bridge and the high voltage is produced by a full wave voltage doubler type circuit that includes rectifier elements of the bridge. However, the high voltage main storage capacitor is isolated from low voltage currents and the low voltage main storage capacitor is isolated from high voltage currents.

Multi-stage current operated power supply including linear transformer coupled to AC power lines and provides positive and negative regulated output progressively charged during each half cycle of input current while maintaining ampere-turns balance.

A linear DC power supply provides high efficiency with substantially lower total capacitance than prior art linear DC power supplies. The power supply includes first and second input terminals, first and second output terminals, a center tap transformer, first and second capacitors, first and second charging circuits, and first and second discharging circuits. The center tap transformer has a primary connected to the first and second input terminals and has a secondary with first and second phase terminals and a center tap terminal which is connected to the second output terminal. The first charging circuit is connected to the secondary and the first capacitor to fully charge the first capacitor during a first portion of each cycle. Similarly, the second charging circuit is connected to the secondary for fully charging the second capacitor during a second portion of each cycle. The first discharging circuit connects the first capacitor to the first output terminal and permits the first capacitor to fully discharge during a third portion of each cycle. The second discharging circuit connects the second capacitor to the first output terminal and permits the second capacitor to fully discharge during a fourth portion of each cycle. The total capacitance of the power supply is significantly reduced by permitting the first and second capacitors to fully charge and discharge during each cycle. As a result, the differential voltage across the capacitors is much greater than in conventional linear power supplies, in which a DC voltage and a small ripple voltage are maintained across a filter capacitor.

The primary winding of a stepup transformer is energized by a time-varying current for inducing a high voltage pulse in the secondary winding of the transformer in response to a rapid change in the time-varying current. A plurality of first diodes and a plurality of capacitors are arranged to form a voltage multiplier for multiplying the amplitude of the high voltage pulse and storing the multiplied pulse on the capacitors to develop a high DC voltage. A second diode is connected in a circuit between one end of the secondary winding and ground so that a current may flow in a loop through the first and second diodes in response to the high voltage pulse and potentials of opposite polarities may develop across the secondary winding. The second diode provides a capacitance in series with the distributed capacitance of the secondary winding, thus reducing the total capacitance to permit ringing to occur at a desired harmonic frequency of the high voltage pulse.