A voltage regulator is a part of the power supply device that, under all operating conditions, ensures a stable, continuous voltage supply. During power changes and differences in loads, it controls voltage. As well as DC voltages, it will control AC. We will take a closer look at the idea of a voltage regulator and the different forms in this blog, and we will expand on the common voltage regulator ICs and their common implementations!

Ⅰ What is a voltage regulator?

An electronic device's power supply unit transforms input power into the desired form (AC-DC or DC-AC) and the desired voltage/current characteristics. A voltage regulator is a part of the power supply device that, under all operating conditions, ensures a stable, continuous voltage supply. During power changes and differences in loads, it controls voltage. As well as DC voltages, it will control AC.

Usually, a voltage regulator takes a higher input voltage and releases a lower output voltage that is more stable. Their secondary usage is also to shield the circuit from potentially damaging/frying voltage surges.

Both electrical instruments, i.e. voltage and current, are designated to work at fixed power ratings. Although current usage is dynamic and depends on the load of the device, for the proper operation of the device, the voltage supply is set and preferably constant. It is the duty of a voltage regulator to preserve the optimal voltage required for the system. They both have voltage regulators for your laptop, wall adapter, and coffee machine.

Ⅱ Working Principle of voltage regulators

A voltage regulator is a circuit that, regardless of changes to the input voltage or load conditions, creates and maintains a defined output voltage.

The battery in your car that gets powered from the alternator, the plug in your house that supplies all the energy you want, the mobile phone that you probably have on hand every minute of the day, all of which require a particular voltage to operate. Fluctuating outputs jumping from ±2V will trigger your charging devices to have an inefficient operation and likely even harm. There are a number of reasons why a voltage fluctuation can occur: the state of the power grid, turning off and on other appliances, time of day, environmental influences, etc. Join the voltage regulator, because of the need for a stable, continuous voltage.

Voltage regulators (VRs) regulate the voltages within a range that is consistent with the other electrical elements of a power supply. While voltage regulators are more generally used for converting DC/DC power, some may also convert AC/AC or AC/DC power. DC/DC voltage regulators will be the subject of this report.

Ⅲ Types of voltage regulators

The voltage regulators used in electronic low-voltage systems are typically integrated circuits. More modern and mechanically broad voltage regulators are used by power distribution centers that deliver AC power to residential and industrial customers to retain rated 110 V (US household standards) voltage independent of consumption demands across the region.

Voltage regulators can be used in integrated circuits, electromechanical systems, or solid-state automated regulators, depending on the physical configuration. Linear and switching regulators are the most general classifications for active voltage regulators (using amplifier components such as transistors or op-amps).

Easy transistor-based systems that are commonly packaged as ICs are linear regulators. In order to regulate the output voltage against a reference voltage, their internal circuitry uses differential amplifiers. Set output or adjustable control can be applied by linear voltage regulators. Currently, they require an input current equal to the output current.

Switching regulators switch a series of high-frequency ON/OFF equipment, changing the voltage service cycle emitted as the output. Buck, boost, and buck-boost are their traditional topologies. During the step-down voltage, buck converters are more effective and are also able to step up the output current. Boost converters will step up the output voltage to more than the input voltage, such as the TPS6125 from Texas Instruments (TI).

Linear voltage regulator integrated circuits

For positive and negative voltage output, the most common DC linear fixed voltage regulator ICs used in electronic circuits are the 78XX and 79XX series. The XX stands for a voltage output varying from 2.5 V to 35 V that can accommodate up to 2 A current. They are available in packaging for surface-mount, TO-3, and TO-220. They have three pins for connection, an input, a typical GND, and a pin for output. Often commercially available are voltage regulator units.

LM7805

The STMicroelectronics LM7805 supplies +5 V of output voltage and GND terminal, while TI's LM7912 provides -12 V of output. With respect to the GND terminal, the negative voltages are only a relative comparison.

Linear voltage regulators with very low electromagnetic interference and fast response to voltage fluctuations are low-cost and easy-to-use ICs. Although they are beneficial for basic applications, using them has a few disadvantages.

LM317 IC Family Schematic

The constant and rated output voltage can be given by the 78XX and 79XX ICs only if the input voltage is at least 2.5 V or higher than the output voltage. For starters, if it is powered by a 9 V Li-Ion battery, you can't obtain a 9 V output from an LM7809 IC.

The voltage drop occurs because these ICs operate effectively as pseudo-resistors and, as heat, release the extra input battery power. This is inefficient and using heat sinks or fans, the heat has to be dissipated. In order to maintain reliable temperature levels, high voltage high-current ICs require large heat sinks or continuous fan use. High input voltages have very poor performance of 20% for low outputs, such as a 24 V input to an LM7805.

The LM317 is a DC linear adjustable voltage regulator that enables the output voltage to be changed using resistors based on an external R1/R2 voltage divider concept. It is simple to use and, as shown, requires two resistors. Over a positive voltage range of 1.25 V to 37 V, it can provide up to 1.5 A current. Other versions of the LM317 IC family, LM317L and LM317M provide a current of 100 mA and 500 mA, respectively.

Ⅳ Basic Parameters for a Voltage Regulator IC

The input voltage, output voltage, and output current are some of the essential parameters to remember when using a voltage regulator. To decide which VR topology is consistent with the IC of a consumer, these parameters are used.

Depending on the application, other parameters can be important, including quiescent current, switching frequency, thermal resistance, and feedback voltage.

Quiescent current is crucial when output is a priority during light-load or standby modes. Maximizing the switching frequency helps smaller device solutions by considering switching frequency as a parameter.

In addition, thermal resistance is important for extracting heat from the unit and dissipating it throughout the system. If an internal MOSFET is used in the controller, so all losses (conductive and dynamic) are dissipated into the package and must be taken into consideration when determining the optimum IC temperature.

Another important parameter to analyze is feedback voltage since it defines the lowest output voltage the voltage regulator will accommodate. Looking at the voltage comparison parameters is normal. This limits the lower output voltage, the specificity of which impacts the accuracy of the control of the output voltage.

Ⅴ Applications of voltage regulators

To power sensors, op-amps, and other electronic modules that require both voltages, positive and negative voltage regulators can be used together.

Using the LM7805 output on the 5 V pin, all popular microcontroller production boards, such as those from Arduino and Raspberry Pi, can be driven. Arduino boards also have an onboard low-dropout voltage regulator to regulate the power input coming from the barrel jack or Vin, such as On Semiconductor's NCP1117S.

One of the most significant elements of an electrical circuit is voltage regulators. For its secure and reliable operation, they are accountable. Extremely high voltage regulators use high current electrical circuits in industrial environments on heavy equipment with high power ratings.

Ⅵ Limitations of Voltage Regulators

One of the key drawbacks of linear regulators is that they may be unreliable since in some usage cases they dissipate large quantities of electricity. A linear regulator's voltage drop is equal to a voltage drop through a resistor. For eg, there is a 2V drop between the terminals, with a 5V input voltage and a 3V output voltage, and the performance is limited to 3V/5V (60 percent ). For applications of lower VIN / VOUT differentials, this means that linear regulators are better suited.

As using greater input voltages results in high power dissipation that can overheat and destroy devices, it is important to remember the approximate power dissipation of a linear regulator in service.

In comparison to switching regulators, which often give boost (step-up) and buck-boost conversion, another disadvantage of linear voltage regulators is that they are only capable of buck (step-down) conversion.

Switching regulators are highly efficient, but some limitations include that they are typically less cost-effective than linear regulators, greater in size, more complex, and if their external components are not properly chosen, they may produce more noise. For a particular application, noise can be very critical, as noise can influence the operation and efficiency of the circuit, as well as EMI performance.