IC VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
PRESENTED BY: RIZZA S. TIMONERA
Integrated circuits
(ICs) are a
keystone of
modern
electronics. They
Voltage regulators comprise a class of widely used are the heart and
ICs. Regulator IC units contain the circuitry for brains of most
reference source, comparator amplifier, control circuits. They are
device, and overload protection all in a single IC. the ubiquitous
Although the internal construction of the IC is little black "chips"
somewhat different from that described for discrete you find on just
voltage regulator circuits, the external operation is about every
much the same. IC units provide regulation of either circuit board.
a fixed positive voltage, a fixed negative voltage, or
an adjustably set voltage.
A power supply can be built using a transformer
connected to the ac supply line to step
the ac voltage to a desired amplitude, then
rectifying that ac voltage, filtering with a capaci-
tor and RC filter, if desired, and finally regulating the
dc voltage using an IC regulator. The
regulators can be selected for operation with load
currents from hundreds of milliamperes
to tens of amperes, corresponding to power ratings
from milliwatts to tens of watts.
THREE-TERMINAL VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
Figure 15.25 shows the basic connection of a three-terminal
voltage regulator IC to a load. The fixed voltage regulator
has an unregulated dc input voltage Vi applied to one input
terminal, a regulated output dc voltage Vo from a second
terminal, and the third terminal connected to ground. For a
selected regulator, IC device specifications list a voltage
range over which the input voltage can vary to maintain a
regulated output voltage over a range of load current. The
specifications also list the amount of output voltage change
resulting from a change in load current (load regulation) or in
input voltage (line regulation).
FIXED-POSITIVE-VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
The series 78 regulators provide fixed regulated
voltages from 5 V to 24 V. Figure 15.26 shows how
one such IC, a 7812, is connected to provide
voltage regulation with output from this unit of +12 V
dc. An unregulated input voltage Vi is filtered by
capacitor C1 and connected to the IC’s IN terminal.
The IC’s OUT terminal provides a regulated +12 V,
which is filtered by capacitor C2 (mostly for any
high-frequency noise).
The third IC terminal is connected to
ground (GND). Whereas the input
voltage may vary over some
permissible voltage range and the
output load may vary over some
acceptable range, the output voltage
remains constant within specified
voltage variation limits. These
limitations are spelled out in the
manufacturer’s specification sheets.
A table of positive-voltage regulator
ICs is provided in Table 15.1.
The connection of a 7812 in a
complete voltage supply is shown
in the connection of Fig. 15.27 .
The ac line voltage (120 V rms) is
stepped down to 18 V rms across
each half of the center-tapped
transformer. A full-wave rectifier
and capacitor filter then provides
an unregulated dc voltage, shown
as a dc voltage of about 22 V,
with ac ripple of a few volts as
input to the voltage regulator. The
7812 IC then provides an output
that is a regulated +12 V dc.
POSITIVE-VOLTAGE-REGULATOR
SPECIFICATIONS
The specifications sheet of voltage regulators is typified by that shown in Fig. 15.28 for the group of
series 7800 positive-voltage regulators. Some consideration of a few of the more important parameters
should be made.
OUTPUT VOLTAGE: OUTPUT REGULATION: SHORT-CIRCUIT OUTPUT CURRENT:
The output voltage regulation is
The specification
seen to be typically 4 mV, to a
for the 7812 shows The amount of current is limited
maximum of 100 mV (at output
that the output to typically 0.35 A if the output
currents from 0.25 A to 0.75 A).
voltage is typically were to be short-circuited
This information specifies that
+12 V but could be (presumably by accident or by
the output voltage can typically
as low as 11.5 V or another faulty component).
vary only 4 mV from the rated
as high as 12.5 V.
+12 V dc.
POSITIVE-VOLTAGE-REGULATOR
SPECIFICATIONS
PEAK OUTPUT DROPOUT VOLTAGE:
CURRENT: The dropout voltage, typically 2 V, is the
Although the rated maximum current is minimum amount of voltage across the input–
1.5 A for this series of IC, the typical output terminals that must be maintained if the
peak output current that might be IC is to operate as a regulator. If the input
drawn by a load is 2.2 A. This shows voltage drops too low or the output rises so
that although the manufacturer rates that at least 2 V is not maintained across the
the IC as capable of providing 1.5 A, IC input–output, the IC will no longer provide
one could draw somewhat more voltage regulation. One therefore maintains an
current (possibly for a short period of input voltage large enough to assure that the
time). dropout voltage is provided.
FIXED-NEGATIVE-VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
The series 7900 ICs provide negative-voltage regulators,
similar to those providing positive voltages. A list of
negative-voltage regulator ICs is provided in Table 15.2 .
As shown, IC regulators are available for a range of fixed
negative voltages, the selected IC providing the rated
output voltage as long as the input voltage is maintained
greater than the minimum input value. For example, the
7912 provides an output of –12 V as long as the input to
the regulator IC is more negative than –14.6 V.
ADJUSTABLE-VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
Voltage regulators are also available in circuit
configurations that allow the user to set the output
voltage to a desired regulated value. The LM317, for
example, can be operated with the output voltage
regulated at any setting over the range of voltage
from 1.2 V to 37 V. Figure 15.30 shows how the
regulated output voltage of an LM317 can be set.
Resistors R1 and R2 set the output to any desired
voltage over the adjustment range (1.2 V to 37 V).
The output voltage desired can be calculated using
THANK'S FOR
LISTENING
