
Diode Modules

Power diodes conduct electric current in one direction while preventing current from flowing in the opposite direction. Power diodes have a higher forward current carrying capacity than smaller signal diodes used in consumer electronics, making them better suited for applications where larger currents and higher voltages are involved. Power diodes are rated according to the maximum current they can carry in the forward direction and maximum reverse voltage they can withstand. When the maximum reverse voltage has been exceeded, the power diode breaks down and ceases functioning.
Diode modules decouple power supplies that are operated in parallel. Redundant power supply systems consist of two or more identical power supplies connected in parallel to the attached electrical load. The power supplies are decoupled (prevented from carrying current at the same time) with redundancy modules on each power supply. Diode modules continuously monitor the power supplies, detect any power supply faults and immediately bypass the faulty unit and shift to using the other power supply. This ensures absolute security of supply, both at the output of one of the power supply units and in the supply line from the power supply unit to the diode module.
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In situations where the power being supplied is critical and the loss of power could be dangerous, it is necessary to use two power supplies. One would be the primary supply and the other would be used as a backup in case the primary supply fails. This configuration is referred to as a redundant power supply.
A standard power supply works by taking a certain kind of power, converting and conditioning it, and providing the correct voltage level in a specific situation. One example of this would be taking 120VAC and converting it to 24VDC, which is used for more sensitive equipment such as PLC’s, ethernet switches and radios. There are some situations where the loss of power to some of these types of components, such as a PLC, would be devastating to a critical process. An example of this would be in oil refineries, where loss of power to critical infrastructure and control equipment could potentially jeopardize the safety of workers in the plant.
In these types of scenarios, it is imperative that power is not lost to the important electrical equipment. Therefore, redundant power supplies are almost always used. If standard power supplies are being used, then an additional diode redundancy module will be needed. The diode module is able to monitor the power that is being supplied by the primary power supply. If the voltage that is being supplied changes enough, either up or down, to a point where it could potentially alter the function of the hardware it is supplying power to, then it will switch from the primary supply to the secondary, backup supply. It makes this change seamlessly, without any loss of power to the critical hardware in the system. Once the primary supply voltage has been regulated, the diode module will then switch power back to the primary supply.