Properties
Current switches

The fundamental properties of current switches can be established from the simplest configuration (basic configuration), which is that of a converter combining a DC network (bipolar) and a single-phase AC network (therefore bipolar). The resulting fundamental structures are those of single-phase current switches. These structures have applications reserved either for low-power applications (single-phase rectifiers), or for very specific fields (rectifiers in electric traction, parallel-resonance inverters).

More elaborate structures are required as soon as the conversion envisaged involves a polyphase AC network. The corresponding elementary structures are those of polyphase current switches, the three-phase case being the most important.

Finally, complex structures call for combinations of elementary switches in series or parallel, either to improve performance or for high-power applications.