Non-IC voltage regulators are power converters that enable generators to provide voltage control capabilities. They accept a voltage that varies over a given range and generate an output voltage that does not vary. Unlike integrated circuit (IC) voltage regulators and IC switching regulators, non-IC voltage regulators do not use an active pass element or other semiconductor.
Non-IC voltage regulators comprise two main categories: switching types and all others, mainly linear and shunt types. Unlike a switching voltage regulator, a linear voltage regulator or shunt voltage regulator is limited by the fact that its output voltage must remain less than its input voltage. Also, the efficiency of most switching regulators is better than that of an equivalent linear or shunt regulator. Nevertheless, the low noise and the simplicity of linear/shunt types make them an attractive alternative to a non-IC voltage switching regulator.
Non-IC voltage regulators are power converters that enable generators to provide voltage control capabilities. They accept a voltage that varies over a given range and generate an output voltage that does not vary. Unlike integrated circuit (IC) voltage regulators and IC switching regulators, non-IC voltage regulators do not use an active pass element or other semiconductor.
Non-IC voltage regulators comprise two main categories: switching types and all others, mainly linear and shunt types. Unlike a switching voltage regulator, a linear voltage regulator or shunt voltage regulator is limited by the fact that its output voltage must remain less than its input voltage. Also, the efficiency of most switching regulators is better than that of an equivalent linear or shunt regulator. Nevertheless, the low noise and the simplicity of linear/shunt types make them an attractive alternative to a non-IC voltage switching regulator.
Other non-IC voltage regulators include a single-phase voltage regulator and a three-phase voltage regulator. These non-IC voltage regulators are differentiated by the way in which they are wired. A single-phase voltage regulator has a simple input and output connections. A single-phase voltage conditioner typically has two lines coming in to the unit and two lines with a ground coming out of the unit. In some applications, a single-phase voltage regulator may have an extra connection, or split-phase connection, to provide output voltages at two levels, such as at 120 V or 240 V. A three-phase voltage regulator uses two different configurations: a delta input configuration and a wye output configuration.
Some non-IC voltage regulators or power converters also offer other important voltage handling characteristics. These include step up/step down capabilities, which allows the power converter to take in a voltage and step it down at the output. This eliminates the need for a special transformer to change the voltage for a particular device.
