If you have a battery product with power being wasted as heat, the battery will drain quicker. This can cause excessive battery drain, overheating, or damage to the product. While linear regulators are cheap and easy to use, the major downside is that they have the potential to waste a lot of power.
The only times you don’t want to use a linear regulator is if the power dissipation is too high, or you need to step-up a voltage. Linear regulators are much cheaper and simpler to use than switching regulators, therefore they should typically be your first choice. A linear regulator can only produce an output voltage lower than the input voltage. If you require an output voltage that is less than the input voltage, start by looking at a linear regulator not a switching regulator.įigure 1 – A linear regulator uses a transistor and a feedback control loop to regulate the output voltage. Switching regulators can be used to both step-down or step-up a voltage. Switching regulators: High power efficiency, but more complex and expensive, and more noise on the output.Linear regulators are only capable of stepping down a voltage. Linear regulators: Simple, cheap, and noise-free, but may have low power efficiency.There are two types of regulators you need to consider: For example, you input 5 V and it outputs 3.3 V, or you input 12 V and it outputs 5 V. Voltage regulators that require an output voltage less than the input voltage are the most common type of voltage regulator. Knowing your input and output voltages will help you to easily decide which group your regulator falls under. Step-up: Outputs a voltage greater than the input voltage.Step-down: Outputs a voltage lower than the input voltage.
Voltage regulators can be divided into two broad classifications: While many other specifications exist, these three will get you started and will help you narrow down the type of regulator you need. The first step in selecting the right voltage regulator is to determine your input voltage, output voltage, and maximum load current. Selecting the type of regulator you need to use We’ll cover everything from determining what type of voltage regulator you need to picking the one that meets your specific requirements. This article is your guide to selecting the right voltage regulator(s) for your design. Odds are that multiple voltage regulators will be needed. Unless you’re able to run everything directly off battery voltage or an external AC/DC adapter voltage, a voltage regulator is required. Probably more than 90% of products require a voltage regulator of some kind, making them one of the most commonly used electrical components.