CHAPTER 4 - DC Regulated power supply – PART 3

• block diagram
• transformer
• Rectifier
• simple capacitor filter
• voltage regulator

A capacitor is a device that stores electric charge in an electric field. It is a passive electronic
component with two terminals. The effect of a capacitor is known as capacitance.

A capacitor is included in the circuit to act as a filter to reduce ripple voltage. Make sure that you
connect the capacitor properly across the DC output terminals of the rectifier so that the
polarities match. Being an electrolytic capacitor, it is sensitive to damage by polarity reversal.
A voltage regulator is a circuit that creates and maintains a fixed output voltage, irrespective of
changes to the input voltage or load conditions. Voltage regulators (VRs) keep the voltages from
a power supply within a range that is compatible with the other electrical components.