A Temperature-Compensated, Low-Voltage Regulator

A solid-state, low-voltage regulator accurate to 0.1 percent with temperature stability has been developed. Employing thermistor compensation, forward-biased diodes, and matched silicon transistors, it represents a significant advance in the state-of-the-art. The circuit discussed herein yields 1.500 + or - 0.001 v at 1 to 15 ma with input voltages of 8 to 12 v over the temperature range -10 degree to +40 degree C. Circuit design and derivations for temperature compensation using thermistors and silicon resistors are covered in detail along with general design criteria for low-voltage regulators.