I. Ch. 4 (Prepared by prof.

Nishith Sahu) Introduction

• Batteries are often shown on a schematic diagram as the source of DC voltage
but usually the actual DC voltage source is a power supply.
• There are many types of power supply. Most are designed to convert high
voltage AC mains electricity to a suitable low voltage supply for electronics
circuits and other devices.
• A more reliable method of obtaining DC power is to transform, rectify, filter
and regulate an AC line voltage.
• A power supply can by broken down into a series of blocks, each of which
performs a particular function.
II. Explain the function of Regulated Power Supply

• Power supply: a group of circuits that convert the standard ac voltage (120 V,
60 Hz) provided by the wall outlet to constant dc voltage.
• Transformer : a device that step up or step down the ac voltage provided by
the wall outlet to a desired amplitude through the action of a magnetic field.
II. Regulated Power Supply
• Rectifier: a diode circuits that converts the ac input voltage to a pulsating dc.
• The pulsating dc voltage is only suitable to be used as a battery charger, but
not good enough to be used as a dc power supply in a radio, stereo system,
computer and so on.
• There are two basic types of rectifier circuits:
✔ Half-wave rectifier
✔ Full-wave rectifier - Center-tapped & Bridge full-wave rectifier
• In summary, a full-wave rectified signal has less ripple than a half-wave
rectified signal and is thus better to apply to a filter.
• Filter: a circuit used to reduce the fluctuation in the rectified output voltage or
ripple. This provides a steadier dc voltage.
• Regulator: a circuit used to produces a constant dc output voltage by reducing
the ripple to negligible amount. One part of power supply.
III. Explain Zener Diode as a Voltage Regulator
• For low current power supplies – a simple voltage regulator can be made
with a resistor and a zener diode connected in reverse.
• Zener diodes are rated by their breakdown voltage Vz and maximum power Pz
(typically 400mW or 1.3W)
III. Zener Diode as Voltage Regulator
• Two basic categories of voltage regulation are:
▪ Line regulation
▪ Load regulation.
• The purpose of line regulation is to maintain a nearly constant output voltage
when the input voltage varies.
• The purpose of load regulation is to maintain a nearly constant output voltage
when the load varies
IV. Line Regulation

Line regulation: A change in input (line) voltage does not significantly affect the
output voltage of a regulator (within certain limits)
IV. Define: Line Regulation
• Line regulation can be defined as the percentage change in the output
voltage for a given change in the input voltage.

Δ means “a change in”

• Line regulation can be calculated using the following formula:
V. Define: Load Regulation

Load regulation: A change in load current (due to a varying RL) has practically
no effect on the output voltage of a regulator (within certain limits)
V. Load Regulation
• Load regulation can be defined as the percentage change in the output
voltage from no-load (NL) to full-load (FL).

• Where: (V NL = no-load o/p voltage; VFL = full-load o/p voltage)

• Sometimes power supply manufacturers specify the equivalent output
resistance (R out) instead of its load regulation.
V. Load Regulation
• RFL equal the smallest-rated load resistance, then VFL :

• Rearrange the equation:

VI. Explain Types of Regulator
• Fundamental classes of voltage regulators are linear regulators and switching
regulators.
• Two basic types of linear regulator are the series regulator and the shunt
regulator .
• The series regulator is connected in series with the load and the shunt
regulator is connected in parallel with the load.
Q: Explain the function of Series Regulator Circuit
• Control element in series with load
between input and output.

• Output sample circuit senses a

change in output voltage.

• Error detector compares sample

voltage with reference voltage →
causes control element to
compensate in order to maintain a
constant output voltage.
 Q: explain the function of Shunt Regulator Circuit
• The unregulated input voltage provides
current to the load.
• Some of the current is pulled away by
the control element.
• If the load voltage tries to change due to
a change in the load resistance, the
sampling circuit provides a feedback
signal to a comparator.
• The resulting difference voltage then
provides a control signal to vary the
amount of the current shunted away
from the load to maintain the regulated
output voltage across the load.
VII. Q: Explain IC Voltage Regulators
• Several types of both linear (series and shunt) and switching regulators are
available in integrated circuit (IC) form.
• Single IC regulators contain the circuitry for:
(1) reference source
(2) comparator amplifier
(3) control device
(4) overload protection
• Generally, the linear regulators are three-terminal devices that provides
either positive or negative output voltages that can be either fixed or
adjustable.
VIII. Fixed Voltage Regulators
• 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.
Fixed – Positive Voltage Regulator
• The series 78XX regulators are the three-terminal devices that provide a fixed
positive output voltage.
Fixed – Positive Voltage Regulator
• An unregulated input voltage Vi is filtered by a 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 .
• The third IC terminal is connected to ground.
Positive – Voltage Regulators in the 78XX Series
IC Part Output Voltage (V) Minimum V i (V)
7805 +5 +7.3
7806 +6 +8.3
7808 +8 +10.5
7810 +10 +12.5
7812 +12 +14.5
7815 +15 +17.7
7818 +18 +21.0
7824 +24 +27.1
Fixed – Negative Voltage Regulator
• The series 79XX regulators are the three-terminal IC regulators that provide a
fixed negative output voltage.
• This series has the same features and characteristics as the series 78XX
regulators except the pin numbers are different.
Negative – Voltage Regulators in the 79XX Series

IC Part Output Voltage (V) Minimum V i (V)

7905 -5 -7.3
7906 -6 -8.4
7908 -8 -10.5
7909 -9 -11.5
7912 -12 -14.6
7915 -15 -17.7
7918 -18 -20.8
7924 -24 -27.1
Adjustable Voltage Regulators
• Voltage regulators are also available in circuit configurations that allow to set
the output voltage to a desired regulated value.
• The LM317 is an example of an adjustable-voltage regulator, can be operated
over the range of voltage from 1.2 to 37 V.
Q: Why Regulated Power Supply is required?
• In an unregulated power supply, that is, under ordinary power supply
conditions, the voltage regulation is not good. Changes in the load current
cause the output voltage to change as well. Again, the variations in the input
ac voltage causes the output voltage to change as well.
• Under practical situations, there are a lot of factors, there are a lot of
variations in ac line voltage that are not in our control. This causes the dc
output voltage to fluctuate. Most of the electronic circuits wouldn’t work
properly on such output voltage fluctuations. Hence we need a regulated dc
power supply.
• The internal resistance of ordinary power supply is relatively large (> 30 Ω).
This in turn affect the load current drawn from the supply. These variations in
dc voltage may result in the erratic operation of electronic circuits. Hence we
need a regulated dc power supply.
DC Regulated Power Supply
Below figure shows the block diagram of a regulated power supply.

1. Transformer: Converts high

ac voltage to low ac voltage.

2. Bridge Rectifier: Converts

ac input voltage to dc
voltage.
3. Filter Circuit: Reduces
ripples which is present in
output of rectifier.
4. Regulator Circuit:
Eliminates ripple by setting
DC output to a fixed voltage.
Q: Explain Switched-mode power supply (SMPS)

• This receives
230V AC and
translates it into
different DC
levels such as +5V,
-5V, +12V, -12V.
• Uses feedback
mechanism