Lecture 2: Analysis Methods and Rectifiers

The lecture reviews linear vs. switching power supplies, focusing on DC to DC conversion. It introduces switching converters as a more efficient alternative to linear amplifiers, using lossless components and pulse width modulation to control output voltage. The lecture then introduces the Method of Assumed States for analyzing circuits with uncontrolled switches like diodes, which involves assuming switch states, analyzing the circuit, and checking for violations of diode behavior. The concept of Periodic Steady State (PSS) is explained, highlighting its importance in simplifying circuit analysis by assuming cyclical operation and constant state variables, and the lecture concludes with examples of circuit analysis using these tools, including a half-wave rectifier circuit.