[LINEAR INTEGRATED

CIRCUITS]
[IC REGULATORS AND SMPS]

MARCH 26, 2019

MODULE 4
ELECTRONICS S4
The features of IC regulators
It has built-in protection circuits.

can provide fixed and adjustable positive and negative operation.

operation of 3 terminal fixed voltage regulator IC’s

A voltage regulator is an electronic circuits designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage level
at its output terminal. voltage regulators operate by comparing the actual output voltage to some fixed
reference voltage. Any difference is amplified and used to control the regulation element in such a way as
to reduce the voltage error.

Most of the commonly used IC regulators are three terminal devices.one terminal for input,one
for output and another for common ground.Three terminal voltage regulators are linear or series
regulators.It consists of circuitry for a constant reference voltage,an error amplifier ,thermal
protection and a series controlling device(commonly a transistor connected in series with load).

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 The above figure shows the block diagram of a basic three terminal IC voltage
regulator.It is basically a series voltage regulator.Here a part of the output voltage is taken
through a potential divider formed by R1 and R2.This voltage is compared with an internally
generated reference voltage . After comparison an error voltage is generated at the output of the
amplifier.This error voltage is used to drive the series pass transistor ,and this transistor regulates
the output voltage to a constant value. Thermal shutdown and current limiting circuits are used
to protect the regulator IC from over heating and over load current.

Basically there are 3 types of three terminal voltage regulators

1.Fixed positive

2.Fixed negative

3.Adjustable

Fixed Positive Voltage Regulators

These regulators provide a constant output voltage. A popular example is the 78XX IC which
provides a constant XX volts output. A fixed voltage regulator can be a positive voltage regulator
or a negative voltage regulator. A positive voltage regulator provides with constant positive
output voltage. All those IC’s in the 78XX series are fixed positive voltage regulators. In the IC
specification – 78XX ; the part XX denotes the regulated output voltage the IC is designed for.
Examples:- 7805, 7809, 7812 etc. 78 stands for positive output

IC OUTPUT

7805 +5V

7809 +9V

7812 +12

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 PIN
PIN DESCRIPTION
NO.

1 INPUT Pin 1 is the INPUT Pin. A positive unregulated voltage is given as input to this

pin.

2 GROUND Pin 2 is the GROUND Pin. It is common to both Input and Output.

3 OUTPUT Pin 3 is the OUTPUT Pin. The regulated output is taken at this pin of the IC

Typical circuit of +5V power supply circuit using 7805 positive voltage regulator

Fixed Negative Voltage Regulators

A negative fixed voltage regulator is same as the positive fixed voltage regulator in design,
construction & operation. The only difference is in the polarity of output voltages. These IC’s are
designed to provide a negative output voltage. Example:- 7905, 7909,7912 and all those IC’s in
the 79XX series.

Here also XX stands for negative output voltage level and 79 for negative voltage regulator.

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Typical circuits of LM 79XX

79xx is 3 terminal negative voltage

regulator. Here 79 stands for negative voltage regulator and xx is the value of the
output voltage. For eg. 7905,7912 etc.

The typical circuit for 79xx is shown below. Here the unregulated negative input is
connected to the 2nd pin of the IC,pin number 1 is connected to ground and
regualted output voltage is obtained at the 3rd pin of the IC.The typical circuit
diagram of LM 79XX is shown below.

WOR
KIN
G

The
input
volta
ge is step downed to required value by using a step down transformer ,the voltage

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obtained from the transformer is rectified using any type of rectifier circuit then
the pulsating DC voltage obtained from the output of the rectifier is filtered by
connecting a high value capacitor at the output of the rectfier .Thus we can get an
unregulated DC volage at the input of the regulator IC.the regulator IC 79xx
regulates the input voltage to the required voltage level.

operation of adjustable voltage regulator LM 317

T
he

LM317 is an adjustable 3−terminal positive voltage regulator capable of supplying in

excess of 1.5 A over an output voltage range of 1.2 V to 37 V. This voltage regulator is
exceptionally easy to use and requires only two external resistors to set the output voltage.
Further, it employs internal current limiting, thermal shutdown .The LM317 serves a wide
variety of applications including local, oncard regulation. This device can also be used to make a
programmable output regulator, or by connecting a fixed resistor between theadjustment and
output, the LM317 can be used as a precision current regulator.

Operation:

The above figure shows the typical circuit of adjustable voltage regulator using LM
317.Here a step down transformer is used to step down the AC input voltage to the required level
. The bridge rectifier converts the AC voltage into Pulsating DC voltage and this Pulsating DC
voltage is converted into smooth DC voltage by a high value filter capacitor (C1).Now the

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filtered DC is given to the input of LM 317 which regulates the input voltage to the required
output value set by two externally connected resistors R1 and R2.The value of the output voltage
is given by

V0 =1.25 x (1+R2/R1)

The capacitor C4 is connected at the ouput terminal to aviod high ferquency noise at the
output.and C3 is lead compansation capacitor which is connected if the length of connection
between the filter capacitor and IC input is more.

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Dual power supply using LM 320 and LM 340

Dual power supply can be easily designed with the help of two 3 terminal regulators
LM320and LM340.The LM340 provides regulation of the positive voltage, the LM320 regulates
the negative voltage. The stepdown transformer reduces the AC input voltage to the required
level ,The single full wave bridge rectifier converts input AC signal into positive and negative
DC output voltage as shown in figure. The voltage across the resistor is filtered with the help
ofcapacitors C1 and C2 to avoid ripples and connected to the voltage regulator ICs. . The
LM340T-5 gives +5v output while LM320K-5 gives -5V output the diodes D1-D4 in the circuit
are used to provide protection of the regulator Ics.The capacitor C2 and C4 is used to avoid high
frequency noises at the output.

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Features of LM 723 voltage regulator

 Input voltage 40V maximum

 Output voltage adjustable from 2V to 37V
 150mA output current without external pass transistor
 Output current in excess of 10A possible by adding external transistors.
 Can be used as either a linear or a switching regulator.

Functional block diagram of 723

The above figure shows the functinal diagram of IC 723 general purpose voltage
regulator.It has two sections.first section includes a zener diode,a constant current source and a
reference amplifier.This section produces an extremely constant reference voltage of 7.15V at
the terminal of vref.The constant current source forces the zener diode to operate at a fixed point
so the voltage across zener diode will be extremely constant.

The other section of the IC consist of an error amplifier,a series pass transistor Q1 and a
current limit transistor Q2.The error amplifier compares a sample of the output voltage applied at
the inverting terminal of the error amplifier with the reference voltage(7.15v)applied at the non

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inverting input terminal of the error amplifier.The output of the error amplifier controls the
conduction of the transistor O1 for maintaining constant regulated output voltage.The transistor
Q2 is used for limitting the output load current to a safe value.These two sections are not
internally connected .

Low voltage regulator using 723

A simple positive low voltage regulator (V0 less than Vref of 7.15V) can be made using
723 as shown above.Here the voltage at the non inverting terminal of the error amplifier is given
by

VNI = vREF(R2/R1+R2)

The difference between VNI and the output voltage V0 which is directly fed back to the INV
terminal is amplified by the error amplifier.The output of the error amplifier drives the series
pass transistor Q1 so as to minimize the difference between Non Inverting and Inverting inputs of
error amplifier.

Since Q1 is operating as an emitter follower

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 V0 = vREF(R2/R1+R2)

If the output voltage becomes low ,the voltage at the Inverting input of the error amplifier
also goes down.so the output of the error amplifier becomes more positive ,thereby driving the
transistor Q1 more into conduction.This causes to increase the collector current so more current
passes through load causing the voltage across the load(V0) to increase.Thus the initial decrease
in the output voltage is compensated. similarly any increase in the output voltage is also
compensated by reverse action of the above process.

High voltage Regulator using 723

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The above figure shows the circuit of a high voltage regulator using 723 .Here the Non inverting
terminal is connected directly to the vref through R3.so the voltage at the non inverting terminal
is Vref.The error amplifier operates as a non inverting amplifier with a voltage gain of

AV = 1+R2/R1

So the output voltage for the cicuit is

V0=7.15(1+R2/R1)

From the above expression we can see that the ouput voltage is always greater than reference
voltage(>7.15).so that the circuit is named as high voltage regulator.

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF SMPS

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 We give high voltage AC Input and low frequency which is available on power outlet, the
first stage of SMPS is Rectifier and filter hence the high AC becomes High Voltage DC from
this operation we eliminate high spikes and surge, High voltage DC is controlled by High
Frequency switching device (50KHz-120KHz) vary depends on design this switching block
samples the high voltage DC with feed back path reference.

The tiny ferrite core transformer step down the voltage as required depends on design, then the
second stage is Rectifier and filter section, it gives Rectified constant DC output Voltage without
current fluctuations.
Some portion of output is taken as feedback signal and this signal compared with reference
voltage and the error (if present) is amplified depends on the error PWM pulse changes its
frequency hence the switching device regulates the output. So the minimum changes in output
DC regulated instantly without affecting load.

Advantages of SMPS

1) The switch mode power supply has a smaller in size.

2) The SMPS has light weight.
3) It has a better power efficiency typically 60 to 70 percent.
4) It has a strong anti interference.
5) SMPS has wide output range.
6) Low heat generation in SMPS.

Disadvantages of SMPS

1. The switch mode power supply (SMPS) is more complex.

2. The SMPS has higher output ripple and its regulation is worse.
3. It can be used only as a step down regulator.
4. It has only one output voltage.
5. It has high frequency electrical noise.
6. SMPS also cause harmonic distortion.

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working principle of opto-couplers

An opto-isolator (also called an optocoupler) is an electronic component that transfers

electrical signals between two isolated circuits by using light.Opto-isolators prevent high
voltages from affecting the system receiving the signal. Commercially available opto-isolators
withstand input-to-output voltages up to 10kV

A common type of opto-isolator consists of an LED and a phototransistor in the same opaque
package. Other types of source-sensor combinations include LED-photodiode, LED-LASCR,
and lamp-photoresistor pairs. Usually opto-isolators transfer digital (on-off) signals, but some
techniques allow them to be used with analog signals

Operation
Assume a photo-transistor device as shown. Current from the source signal passes
through the input LED which emits an infra-red light whose intensity is proportional to the
electrical signal.
This emitted Infra red light falls upon the base of the photo-transistor, causing it to switch-ON
and conduct in a similar way to a normal bipolar transistor.
When the current flowing through the LED is interrupted, the infra-red emitted light is cut-off,
causing the photo-transistor to stop conducting (OFF). The photo-transistor can be used to switch
current in the output circuit.Since there is no direct electrical connection between the input and
output of an optocoupler, electrical isolation up to 10kV is achieved.

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Opto-coupler IC 4N35

FEATURES

• Isolation test voltage 5000 VRMS

• Interfaces with common logic families

• Input-output coupling capacitance < 0.5 Pf

• Industry standard dual-in-line 6 pin package

Operation
Assume a photo-transistor device as shown. Current from the source signal passes
through the input LED which emits an infra-red light whose intensity is proportional to the
electrical signal.
This emitted Infra red light falls upon the base of the photo-transistor, causing it to switch-ON
and conduct in a similar way to a normal bipolar transistor.
When the current flowing through the LED is interrupted, the infra-red emitted light is cut-off,
causing the photo-transistor to stop conducting (OFF). The photo-transistor can be used to switch
current in the output circuit. Since there is no direct electrical connection between the input and
output of an opto coupler, electrical isolation up to 10kV is achieved.

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