So I've been digging around all these articles, and I'm a bit confused.
Is a common 5V "shunt" regulator a type of DC to DC converter?
Or does the term DC to DC converter mean something more specific?
I'm thinking maybe a DC to DC converter provides isolation, but I could be wrong about that.
DC-to-DC converter would be just a broad term, and voltage regulator's are a specific type(linear, I think DC-to-DC converter - Wikipedia). It's like there are animals, and birds are a type of animal.
jfenwick:
DC-to-DC converter - Wikipedia
Voltage regulator - Wikipedia
Electric power conversion - WikipediaSo I've been digging around all these articles, and I'm a bit confused.
Is a common 5V "shunt" regulator a type of DC to DC converter?
Or does the term DC to DC converter mean something more specific?
I'm thinking maybe a DC to DC converter provides isolation, but I could be wrong about that.
A DC to DC converter just transforms an input voltage range to an output voltage range. It may or may not have a 'regulated' (fixed) output voltage value. A given DC to DC converter may be isolated or non-isolated. Isolated is more complex and expensive. DC to DC converter is a pretty general term and tells you little about any one specific DC to DC converter.
A shunt voltage regulator is one form of linear voltage regulator that takes a higher and possibly variable input voltage and converts it to a lower fixed output voltage. Shunt regulators are very inefficient and are normally only used where only a small output current capacity is required. The series voltage regulator such as the classic 7805 is much more commonly used as standard voltage regulators.
Lefty
Sounds plausible, thanks!