full wave rectifier oscilloscope measurements
Hi,
There can be another problem: when you use a function gen, you may miss the isolation that the transformer gave you previously.
For instance you use a oscilloscope to check the full wave rectifier then the transformer isolates the earth/ground of the mains supply from the oscilloscpe earth/ground but in case of the function gen there is no such isolation: if you drive directly the diode bridge from the generator's output where one of the outputs is the earth/ground then it meets directly with the earth/ground of the oscilloscope, hence one diode in the bridge gets short-circuited the very moment you connect the oscilloscope (the two grounds/earths are met through the common mains' ground/earth).
If you use an earth/ground-independent instrument for measuring the full wave bridge output, then the above problem does not manifest of course.
unkarc