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The article considers serial and parallel connections of diodes, as well as the features of diode operation in power rectifier units. Most often, a rectifier unit in a simplified form is a diode bridge or four diodes connected in a bridge circuit. To increase the current in the rectifier, a serial connection of diodes is used and a current safety factor of 15 ... 25% is applied. Such measures allow not to overload semiconductor devices with lower static resistance of the p-n junction. The difference in resistance of semiconductor devices of the same class in current and voltage is associated with the complexity of obtaining the same volt-ampere characteristics of diodes, i.e., the technological process of production. Series connection of diodes allows to increase the value of the reverse voltage supplied to the corresponding branch. In the non-conducting half-period of alternating current, the reverse voltage is distributed unevenly on the semiconductor valves, which can cause a breakdown of first one diode, and then the rest. To equalize the distribution of the reverse voltage, the diodes are shunted in parallel with resistors whose resistance should be 3...5 times less than the resistance of the pn junction. In the dynamic operating mode, at the initial moment of the non-conducting period, a current pulse occurs, the duration of which is determined by the nature of the load and the recovery time of the valve strength of the semiconductor device. As a result, the entire reverse voltage can be applied to the diode with the shortest recovery time of electrical strength, which will lead to the breakdown of the latter. To eliminate this phenomenon, capacitors are used, with resistors connected in series to limit the charging current. #electronicsclub #electronics #rectifier