Linear stabilizers

Linear stabilizers are various devices that can differ in many parameters. To make browsing our offer easier, we have distinguished a number of subcategories below. You can immediately choose whether you are interested in a 1.8V, 3V, 8V or even 12V stabilizer.

A voltage stabilizer is a needed hardware for many electronic projects. See our entire offer below, and check how these types of stabilizers work!

Linear stabilizers for voltage regulation

Linear stabilizers are the simplest solution that allows you to freely regulate the voltage. Most of these components require only two external capacitors to filter the input and output voltage. The capacity of these elements depends on the operating current of the stabilizer and the bandwidth of its feedback loop.

Integrated linear stabilizers are characterized by the fact that their mode of operation is very simple. The voltage regulator works by using feedback to stabilize the voltage in the target device. By comparing the actual output voltage with a fixed reference voltage at the error amplifier, this circuit controls the actuator, most often a MOSFET transistor.

Any voltage differences are amplified and used for control in such a way as to reduce the error in the output voltage. The result is a feedback loop of electronic control. Due to the presence of feedback, these systems are called linear stabilizers, because all components of the feedback path are linear systems. Due to the use of a transistor to regulate the voltage by controlling the voltage drop on this element, the voltage supplying the stabilizer must be greater than the output voltage.

Linear stabilizers – implementation, regulation and capacitors 

The implementation of linear stabilizers in electronic systems is extremely simple. This is because modern voltage regulators today are highly integrated circuits. As a result, these devices already contain all the necessary components - control components (power transistor), error amplifier and reference voltage. Thanks to this, the implementation of these systems does not require tedious calculations or experimental selection of the values of electronic components accompanying the system.

Due to the simplicity of implementation of integrated voltage regulators, the selection of external elements for the system is extremely simple. Most often, a linear stabilizer requires only two accompanying passive electronic components. They are an input capacitor and an output capacitor. The capacity at the input of the system is to filter the supply voltage for the linear stabilizer.

As for the parameters of the input capacitor to the linear stabilizer, it is commonly assumed that it should have a capacity of 1000 microfarads per 1 ampere of flowing current. To reduce the impedance of the filter, the capacitance can be broken down into several capacities, for example, 1000 μF, 1 μF, 100 nF and 1 nF connected in parallel. This will result in a low impedance filter in a wide frequency range, which will certainly improve the quality of the output voltage from the voltage regulator.

Pre-programmed and configurable voltage linear stabilizers 

Typically, linear stabilizers have a factory-set output voltage level. However, some voltage regulators are also available in an externally programmable version. The option with programming means that such a device, and more specifically its output voltage level, can be configured by the user. This type of configuration is done by adding two resistors to the system in the voltage divider. The voltage from the output is then fed to the special measuring input of the linear stabilizer and then to the error amplifier and the control system. The exact mathematical relationships between the resistances of these resistors and the output voltage can be found in the data sheet of a given voltage regulator.