[dahy-ohd] 
| a device, as a two-element electron tube or a semiconductor, through which current can pass freely in only one direction. |
di·ode (dī'ōd')  (click for larger image in new window) n.
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diode (dī'ōd') Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) An electrical device with two active terminals, an anode and a cathode, through which current passes more easily in one direction (from anode to cathode) than in the reverse direction. Diodes have many uses, including conversion of AC power to DC power, and the decoding of audio-frequency signals from radio signals. |
diode hardware, electronics
A semiconductor device which conducts electric current run in one direction only. This is the simplest kind of semiconductor device, it has two terminals and a single PN junction. One diode can be used as a half-wave rectifier or four as a full-wave rectifier.
(1995-03-14)
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