[Amps] caps across rectifier diodes

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Steve Katz wrote:
>I sure agree with that.  I use high quality avalanche rectifiers and 
>never use capacitors across them.
>
>We built the HV rectifier for the targeting RADAR systems for the 
>Patriot and Patriot II missiles for many years and the silly Army spec 
>included capacitors across the rectifiers.  They served no purpose 
>whatever except to add cost and reduce reliability, so we called the 
>assembly a "rectifier compensated capacitor stack."  In the field, the 
>only things that ever failed, out of more than 30,000 assemblies 
>shipped, were the capacitors themselves.  The MTBF of the rectifiers 
>was essentially infinity, but the assembly MTBF was much smaller due to 
>the capacitors.
>

How much were you over-designing on the nominal PIV?



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73 from Ian GM3SEK