Bidirectional current

A bidirectional current (BidC) {{cite book|author1=Euzeli dos Santos|author2=Edison R. da Silva|title=Advanced Power Electronics Converters: PWM Converters Processing AC Voltages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AldVBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13|date=10 November 2014|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-97205-2|pages=13–}} is one which both charges and discharges at once. It is a current that flows primarily in one direction and then in the other. {{cite book|author=George Vernon Mueller|title=Introduction to Electrical Engineering|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jCkhAAAAMAAJ|year=1948|publisher=McGraw-Hill Book Company}}

Complicated systems which have integrated recharging capability sometimes resort to using bidirectional currents, as in Laptops or other systems. Monitoring of a bidirectional current is required for a laptop to report the battery level and charging status.{{cite web|url=http://www.maximintegrated.com/app-notes/index.mvp/id/1949|title = MaxIntegrated-Bidirectional Currents}} Components are available for this purpose.{{cite web|url=http://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AD8218.pdf|title=www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AD8218.pdf}}