MODULE 5

Voltage Regulators
• 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.
( 230 V, 50Hz)
 Regulators Classification

• The fundamental classes of voltage regulators are:

 Linear regulators : Makes use of linear components for regulation.
 Eg: 78xx,79xx,723 etc
 Switching regulators : The control element operates as a switch.
 Eg: LM1577,2577,3671 etc
• Both of these are available in integrated circuit form.

• Basic types of linear regulator are

 Series regulator
 Fixed regulator
 Shunt regulator  Variable regulator
• The series regulator is connected in series with the load and the shunt
regulator is connected in parallel with the load.
• The resistor R1 and R2 sense a change in the output voltage and
provide a feedback voltage.
• The error detector compares the feedback voltage with a Zener diode
reference voltage.
• The resulting difference voltage causes the transistor Q1 controls the
conduction to compensate the variation of the output voltage.
• The output voltage will be maintained at a constant value of:
• When the output voltage tries to decrease due to a change in input
voltage or load current caused by a change in load resistance, the
decrease is sensed by R1 and R2.
• A feedback voltage obtained from voltage divider R1 and R2 is applied
to the op-amp’s non-inverting input and compared to the Zener voltage
to control the drive current to the transistor.
• The current through resistor RS is thus controlled to drop a voltage
across RS so that the output voltage is maintained.
Purpose of the capacitor used with IC 78XX series,

1. To filter or remove AC noise or ripples

2. To improve the transient responses
3. Protection against Surges
4. To increase the stability
5. To remove the deposited charges from the IC terminals
during the regulation.
6. To increase the reliability of the circuit.
 Advantages

 7805 voltage regulator ic does not require any

component to balance or saturate their output voltage.

 The 7805 ic has built-in protection from the high current.

 There is a heat-sink with the common ground connected

with which is helpful in order to prevent the regulator ic
from overheating and short-circuits making it
uncompromising in the most application.
723 VOLTAGE REGULATOR – FUNCTIONAL
DIAGRAM

Section-
1 Section - 2
• IC 723 has two sections:
1. A constant current Source:- A zener diode and a reference amplifier
producing a constant voltage of about 7 volts at Vref end. The zener diode is
being compelled to operate at fixed point (so that zener output voltage is a
fixed voltage) by a constant current Source.
2. An error amplifier: The second section of IC 723 comprises of an error
amplifier, a series pass transistor Q1 and a current limiting transistor. The
error amplifier compares a sample of output voltage applied at Inverting
input terminal to the reference voltage Vref applied at the Non-Inverting
input terminal.
The conduction of the transistor Q1 is controlled by the error signal.
LM723 in Low-Voltage Configuration
R 4V o  0 .7 ( R  R )
I L (max)  4 5

R 5R sens

0 .7 ( R R )
I short  4 5

R 5R sens

0 .7 V o
R 
 0 .7 )  0 .7 I
sens
I short ( V o L (max)

With external pass transistor Under foldback condition:

and foldback current limiting
0 .7 R L ( R R )
Vo'
4 5
R 2 V ref
Vo  R 5R R R
R
sens 4 L
R 1 2

36
LM723 in High-Voltage Configuration
Design equations:
V ref ( R 1  R2)
Vo 
R2

R1R 2 0 .7
R3  R sens 
R1  R2 I max

Choose R1 + R2 = 10 k,
and Cc = 100 pF.
External pass transistor and To make Vo variable,
current sensing added. replace R1 with a pot.
40
723 Current limit circuit
723 with Current foldback
Design a LVR for an output of 5v and load current upto 200 mA.