Power electronics

A thyristor is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating N and P-type material.

Electric power is the rate, per unit time, at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit.

A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction.

A switched-mode power supply (switching-mode power supply, switch-mode power supply, switched power supply, SMPS, or switcher) is an electronic power supply that incorporates a switching regulator to convert electrical power efficiently.

A motor controller is a device or group of devices that serves to govern in some predetermined manner the performance of an electric motor.

An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a three-terminal power semiconductor device primarily used as an electronic switch which, as it was developed, came to combine high efficiency and fast switching.

A power inverter, or inverter, is an electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).

A variable-frequency drive (VFD) (also termed adjustable-frequency drive, variable speed drive, AC drive, micro drive or inverter drive) is a type of adjustable-speed drive used in electro-mechanical drive systems to control AC motor speed and torque by varying motor input frequency and voltage.

A PIN diode is a diode with a wide, undoped intrinsic semiconductor region between a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor region.

TRIAC, from triode for alternating current, is a generic trademark for a three terminal electronic component that conducts current in either direction when triggered.

The magnetic amplifier (colloquially known as a "mag amp") is an electromagnetic device for amplifying electrical signals.

A DC-to-DC converter is an electronic circuit or electromechanical device that converts a source of direct current (DC) from one voltage level to another.

Power electronics is the application of solid-state electronics to the control and conversion of electric power.

A power MOSFET is a specific type of metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) designed to handle significant power levels.

A joule thief is a minimalist Armstrong self-oscillating voltage booster that is small, low-cost, and easy to build, typically used for driving small loads.