Bridge Rectifier question

i just got some BR's in for the SSL 9K pre PSU, but they dont have a flat side like the ones i usually have, they are round, but have a longer leg, marked +, where does the + leg go in a flat sided pcb layout?

heres a pic:

http://tinypic.com/4shfkj

i have the left one, right one is PCB and leads going to the legs.


thanks.
taylor

Hi Taylor...I'm not sure I understand what you're asking but here's the answer I think you're looking for....

The long leg will go in the + hole, the opposite leg should go in the - hole and the other two (which should be the ~) go in the other holes left over (it usually doesn't make any difference which one goes where) ...these holes usually go to the transformer secondary.

Hope this helped

TP

see thats the problem, there are no + or - on the board itself, its made to just drop that style with a flat edge into it. i just need to know which side of the flat edge has the + naturally on it so then i can rotate mine to that point.

dig?

thanks.
t

It would seem as if you could follow the traces to identify the power transformer hookups. Then look at the remaining two pads and see which one goes to what polarity pad for the big electrolytics. The "+" lead of the bridge clearly goes to the "+" terminal of the 'lytic.

Having said that, it looks like most in-line bridges are like this one: http://www.vishay.com/docs/88531/3n252.pdf, with the ac in the middle and + on the diagonally sliced corner end.

The original board print had a square pad identifying the + lead of the rectifiers and the polarized caps. Hopefully yours should have this also.

Keith

Also, the flat bridge rectifiers comes in two different versions: -~~+ and ~-~+ so it's very important to know what pin is what!!!

Jakob E.

You can use the diode tester on a multi meter to determine the direction off the diodes inside the bridge rectefier.

Jakob, I think that he has a round one, not a flat one... but I might misunderstand. Anyway, for further clarification all of the round 'button' rectifiers that I come across have the positive diagonally opposite the negative. As long as you get the + in the right hole, the others should all be right.

+ ~

~ -

This should be the layout of all the round bridges. The + is sometimes the only one identified... on PCB layouts it might be by a different shaped pad.

On the PSU for the 9k pre layout, the square pad is +. The two adjacent pads are ~(AC) and the last remaining pad is -.

Keith

My advice to you is to swallow hard and file the wimpy bridge into the nearest trash receptacle.
This will make your life much easier when you go to replace the bridge after a short circuit pops it. Get a standard CSB1 or CSB4 dip packages, or better yet, make your own bridge out of 1N4004's.