What is characteristic of a half-wave rectifier in a power supply?

A half-wave rectifier is the simplest type of rectifier circuit, requiring only a single diode to convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). It works by blocking one half of the incoming AC waveform and allowing the other half to pass through to the filter circuit. Because it only uses half of the AC cycle, it is much less efficient than a full-wave rectifier. It produces a ripple frequency equal to the input line frequency (not twice the frequency, which is a trait of full-wave rectifiers) and supplies less overall current capacity.