What are integrated switching plus linear voltage regulators?
Products in this family are used for constructing circuits that perform a DC-DC conversion or voltage regulation function, using a combination of switch-mode and linear regulator functions within the same physical package. While exact topologies vary, the underlying goal of such products is to obtain a combination of the efficiency advantages of switch-mode techniques with the low-noise qualities of linear regulation.
Introduction to DigiKey’s Product Selection Guide
This page is one of many in DigiKey’s Product Selection Guide (PSG). This particular page is focused on voltage regulators - linear + switching. It provides a description of the individual parameters used to characterize the part. This information will allow you to better understand and navigate DigiKey’s parametric search engine. Click here for a case study showing how to use the search tools.
How are integrated switching plus linear voltage regulators categorized?
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Topology: Indicates the style and configuration of the device.
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Number of Outputs: Indicates how many outputs this device provides.
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Frequency - Switching: Describes a device’s nominal operating frequency or frequency range; the rate at which an input power source is switched in the course of the conversion process.
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Voltage/Current - Output 1: Describes output voltage (or voltage range if adjustable) and maximum output current of a device’s primary output, commonly the first in a series of cascaded regulator stages.
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Voltage/Current - Output 2: Describes output voltage (or voltage range if adjustable) and maximum output current of a device’s second output.
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Voltage/Current - Output 3: Describes output voltage (or voltage range if adjustable) and maximum output current of a device’s third output.
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w/LED Driver: Indicates whether or not a device includes a secondary system for driving LED illumination circuitry.
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w/Supervisor: Indicates whether or not a device includes integrated supervisor circuitry allowing for monitoring and feedback control of the device.
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w/Sequencer: Indicates whether or not a device includes provisions for controlling the order in which multiple outputs become active during power-up.
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Voltage - Supply: Typically represented by a range, this indicates the low and high voltage limits which one can expect standard operation. Voltages outside this range may damage the device and other system components.
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Operating Temperature: Recommended operating temperature, typically given in a range or as a maximum. Exceeding these temperatures may affect performance or damage the device and other system components.
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Mounting Type: Indicates how the device is attached.
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Package / Case: Indicates the type of protective case used on an electronic component to allow easy handling, installation, and protection. This selection was determined to be the closest industry standard applicable to the supplier device packaging. Typically it is best to check the actual dimensions from the datasheet rather than depend on this terminology when designing your circuit.
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Supplier Device Package: This is what the manufacturer calls the package of this device. They are manufacturer specific. It is typically best to use the actual dimensions from the datasheets rather than to go by this terminology when designing your circuit.
Examples of switching and linear regulators
- The Microchip Technology brand MIC3385YHL-TR is a buck regulator that features a LDO for low-power operations such as a microcontroller’s sleep mode. Datasheet
- The Rohm brand BD71815AGW-E2 “integrates 5 buck converters, 8 LDOs, a boost driver for LED, and a 500mA single-cell linear charger” into a single package. Datasheet
- The Texas Instruments brand LP3907QTL-VXSS/NOPB "integrates two highly efficient 1-A, 600-mA step-down DC-DC converters with dynamic voltage scaling (DVS), two 300-mA linear regulators, and a 400-kHz I^2C interface. Datasheet
Related media links
DigiKey Articles & Blogs
- Hybrid Power Supplies Deliver Noise-Free Voltages
- Selecting the Correct Regulator
- Understanding the Advantages and Disadvantages of Linear Regulators
Follow up
If you have any general questions on the specifications for selecting integrated switching and LDO regulators, please reply using the button below. If you have questions on a specific regulator, please post your questions in the forum’s Integrated Circuits (ICs) category.
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