Linear Regulator vs. Switching Regulator

Linear DC voltage regulator has the advantages of high stability, small ripple, high reliability, and easy to make multi-channel output continuously adjustable power supply. The disadvantages are bulky, cumbersome and relatively inefficient. There are many kinds of such regulated power supply. From the nature of the output, it can be divided into a regulated power supply, a steady current power supply, and a stabilized current (bistable) power supply that integrates voltage regulation and stability. From the output point of view can be divided into fixed output power supply, band switch adjustment type and potentiometer continuously adjustable several, from the output instructions can be divided into pointer indication type and digital display type and so on.

The switching regulator is directly rectified to obtain high-voltage direct current. The high-frequency oscillator controls the on-off ratio of the switching tube to adjust the output voltage. Switching power supply circuits are divided into two types: series and parallel. Switching power supplies have the advantage of high efficiency, because the power consumed by the transistors in the switch state is very small, and can achieve 70-80% or even higher efficiency. And no step-down transformer, the output transformer is working at high frequency, its volume is much smaller than the 50 Hz power frequency transformer. Therefore, the switching power supply circuit is small and light. Switching regulators can operate over a wide voltage range.