A type of DC-to-DC converter that is comprised of inductors and capacitors that sort energy and switch elements, which then open or close, as needed to regulate the voltage across a load. This is normally controlled by a feedback loop in order to even out output voltage.
A high-efficiency dc-to-dc converter consisting or inductors and capacitors to sort energy and switching elements (typically transistors or SCRs), which open and close as necessary to regulate voltage across a load. The switch duty cycle is generally controlled by a feedback loop to stabilize the output voltage.
The fundamental component of a switching regulator is a pulse width modulator. A switching regulator uses a pulse width modulator to produce a pulse train with a duty cycle that is automatically adjusted as needed to increase or decrease the DC value of the train. The duty cycle of a pulse is the proportion of the period during which the pulse is present. The switching regulator improved upon series and shunt regulators by reducing the amount of power that was dissipated thus improving efficiency.