A popular stabilization circuit in which a control device is placed in series or parallel with the load to deliver a constant voltage across the load. The control device is always conducting, and the difference between input and output power is dissipated by the control device.

an electronic power supply circuit that attempts to produce a smoothed, constant-voltage, output from a varying input voltage

This is a technique used to stabilize voltage. Usually accomplished with a transistor that is placed either in series or parallel to the power source in order to regulate voltage across a load. Since the voltage drop in the device is not constant, this type of technique is referred to as “linear.

A stabilization circuit in which a control device--such as a power MOSFET or bipolar transistor--is placed in series or parallel with the load to deliver a constant voltage across the load.

A regulating technique where a dissipative active device such as a transistor is placed in series with a power supply output to regulate the output voltage.

An active device connected in series or shunt with the load of a power supply in such a way that the feedback to the control device changes its voltage drop as required to maintain a constant DC output voltage or current. Related Terms: Post Regulation

In electronics, a linear regulator is a voltage regulator based on an active device (such as a bipolar junction transistor, field effect transistor or vacuum tube) operating in its "linear region" (in contrast, a switching regulator is based on a transistor forced to act as an on/off switch) or passive devices like zener diodes operated in their breakdown region. The regulating device is made to act like a variable resistor, continuously adjusting a voltage divider network to maintain a constant output voltage.