Patent ID: 8711593

Claim:
A rectifier configured to provide synchronous rectification with either a current-source or a voltage-source, said rectifier comprising: a first circuit element coupled between a first input node and a first output node; a second circuit element coupled between a second input node and the first output node; a third circuit element coupled between a second output node and the first input node, the second and third circuit elements forming a first group; a fourth circuit element coupled between the second output node and the second input node, the first and fourth circuit elements forming a second group; wherein at least one of the circuit elements is a self-driven current-controlled active switch comprising: a sensing resistor for sensing a current direction and providing a signal to a gate drive circuit based on the current direction, an active switch, a comparator comprising a first input pin, a voltage bias between the first input pin and the sensing resistor, and also between the first input pin and the active switch, and wherein each circuit element comprises one from the group consisting of a diode, an inductor, a capacitor, a voltage-controlled active switch, or the self-driven current-controlled active switch.