A voltage regulator is a component that converts a voltage to a lower (or higher) level.

A typical example is if you want to use a 9V battery but need 5V in the circuit. for example, to create a portable USB charger. You can then use a voltage regulator that takes 9V as an input and creates a stable 5V output to use in the circuit. Or, if you are building a circuit that requires a different voltage level. Suppose you have a circuit where the microcontroller needs 5V and the motor needs 12V. you can use just one 12V supply and add a voltage regulator that provides 5V to the microcontroller instead of using two supplies.

How to connect a voltage regulator

Usually, you need to connect some additional components to the regulator in order to make the output more stable. At least one or two capacitors. But it depends on which regulator you choose. You can find information on how to connect a specific regulator in its data sheet. For example, the voltage regulator 7805 is a common one. It provides you with a 5V output. From the 7805 datasheet you can find this example circuit, which shows that you need two capacitors.

Types of Voltage Regulators

There are two common types of voltage regulators that are worth knowing about.

• Linear regulators
• DC-DC switching regulators Linear regulators are the simplest regulators, requiring only a few capacitors and perhaps a resistor or two to operate. Examples of linear regulators include the 7805 and LM317, which have adjustable output voltages.

DC-DC switching regulators are slightly more complex and require inductors and diodes to work. One of the more common examples is the LM2596. but usually you can find these as small modules (look for DC-DC converters) and they have everything you need on the board.

The main difference between the two is that linear regulators waste more power than switching regulators. As a result, linear regulators can easily get very warm if you don't provide good cooling. In addition, switching regulators are the only regulators that can provide you with higher output voltages than what you are putting in. A linear regulator will always provide you with a lower output voltage.

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