PMIC - Voltage Regulators - Linear + Switching

PMIC - Voltage Regulators - Linear + Switching are designed to construct circuits that convert DC to DC or regulate voltage by combining switch-mode and linear regulator functions. The main purpose of these devices is to achieve advantages of combination efficiency of both switch-mode techniques and low-noise features of linear regulation.

Voltage Regulators – Linear:

Linear voltage regulators (also known as LDOs; low-dropout linear regulators) employ a negative-feedback circuit-controlled transistor to generate a specific, stable output voltage despite varied load current in input voltage. These regulators are widely used for maintaining a constant and stable voltage.

Types of Linear voltage regulators: 

Linear voltage regulators have two types: Series and Shunt. 

Series Voltage Regulators: 

A series voltage regulator uses different elements placed in series with the load. By changing the element’s resistance in series, the dropped voltage changes while the load voltage remains constant. They are more beneficial than shunt voltage regulators as they draw the amount of current that can be used effectively and can be acquired as per needs. 

Shunt Voltage Regulators:

A shunt voltage regulator absorbs current and provides a path from supply voltage using a variable resistance that diverts the current away from the load to the ground. This makes it less efficient than series regulators. However, they are simpler, comprised of just a reference-voltage diode, and are ideal for low-powered circuits. 

Voltage Regulators – Switching:

Switching regulators from PMIC - Voltage Regulators - Linear + Switching family are circuits that convert the voltage and current input to voltage and current output. They are ideal for providing power to systems they are used for. These circuits, also called converters, are suitable for regulating the energy transferred between these two contact points. These regulators are very robust and work efficiently, with higher conversion efficiency and more cost-effective power management for the long term. They also often don’t need external capacitors.

Types of switching regulators:

There are two types of switching regulators: Step-Up or Boost Regulators and Step-Down or Buck-Boost Converters.

Step-Up or Boost Regulators:

They are the most basic switching regulators, ideal for increasing the output voltage. 

Step-Down or Buck-Boost Converters:

These regulators/converters reverse or decrease the output voltage correspondingly to the input voltage. 

What are switching regulators used for?

These types of regulators are often used for single or multi-cell battery-powered applications. They are also ideal for battery-powered portable electronic devices like:

• Digital cameras
• Handheld game consoles 
• Controllers, and more. 

Which type of regulator is better? Switching or Linear?

All the PMIC - Voltage Regulators - Linear + Switching offer their advantages. However, the significant benefit of using switching converters instead of linear regulators is that they offer protection during short-circuits and protect electrical equipment and systems from over and under-voltage current damage.