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What's the difference between the voltage regulators and zener diodes?

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seadolphine2000

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Hi,..
I have a small question that might be a silly one;

What's the difference between the voltage regulators and zener diodes.???
I mean the difference in the function. They both used to sustain the voltage at a certain level.
What else.???

Thanks for answering my silly questions.
 

Re: Regulators vs. Zener

Back in the days of discrete parts, the feedback type regulators were much more expensive.

For a wide range of load currents the regulator is more efficient. The zener alone types draw the current that the load does not draw.
 
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    HasHx

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Re: Regulators vs. Zener

Do you mean that the only difference is the amount of current.??
 

Re: Regulators vs. Zener

Zener diode "shares" current with the load; the more is drawn by a load the less goes through zener, and that is one reason for not very stabile voltage regulation with zeners. On the other hand an IC voltage regulator draws from power source a bias current which is almost constant regardless of the load and input voltage and in most cases is negligible.
Second reason, and in the same time dfference from IC voltage regulators, is poor temperatur response from zener diodes. Again, the IC voltage regulators are temperature comensated and their utput voltage is almost independent of temperature.
 

Re: Regulators vs. Zener

Zener diode regulators are not so stable as it works like a series/shunt variable resistor without any feedback for voltage or temperature changes and in sudden fluctuations in power supply.
But IC voltage take all this in to consideration while designing the ic with a feedback loop.
 
Regulators vs. Zener

yes simply the main difference between zener and regulator that,
Zener: share current with load, that makes load volateg unstable
Regulator: isolate load from source, so what ever was cosumed current by load volateg dosn't effect till load current in the limite band current value of the regulator itself
 

Regulators vs. Zener

Zener diodes cannot provide voltage regulation for wide range of load current, and that is why to need a voltage regulator.
 

Re: Regulators vs. Zener

Zener diodes are better to be used in very low power circuits as voltage references or simillar fanctions.
If you need constant voltage at high load currents, the zener as a shunt type regulator, should consume a large amount of power. That is a wast in heat.
Also a voltage regulator (ICs like 78XX series etc.) give better voltage stability over a wider load variation.
 

Regulators vs. Zener

using Zener or regulator is depend on your application. when you want a voltage around a fix voltage (for example you want 6.2 volt but can alter event to 6.8 ) and limited current Zener is good and chip. but regulator because of their feedback charecteristic fix the volatage( the tolerance even below .1%) and higher current they can support but more expensive than zener.
 

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