The simplistic Salas low voltage shunt regulator

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iko

Ex-Moderator
Joined 2008
I think it would be good at this point to recall where things are coming from and thus give credit where credit is due. Can anyone recognize this topology?

AudioXpress-02-2008_p34_fig-5_simple_shunt_reg.jpg


AudioXpress-02-2008_p34_fig-5_simple_shunt_reg_with_CCS.jpg


If you don't, then you haven't looked carefully at salas' regulator. This design is due to Are Waagbo, who published an article named "Shunt or Not" in the Feb 2008 issue of AudioXpress (US print magazine) pp. 30-37. Here's a link to the actual article, which is a very good read:
http://www.borbelyaudio.com/pics/waagbo2863.pdf

Notice the article is hosted by Erno Borbely's website. This is no coincidence, as Mr. Waagbo and Mr. Borbely are friends. In fact Mr Borbely says this in an interview:
"My friend Are Waagbo used a combination of a series current-source feeding into a parallel shunt, and that is probably the very best you can do for regulated supplies. ... What I find quite important in supplies is to use reservoir caps with the lowest ESR practicable, and use lots of it. I believe in very stiff raw supplies. That makes sure that the raw voltage going into the regulator is as smooth as possible. And, by the way, Walt and you have also done a lot of good work on regulators!" The interviewer being Jan Didden, the last sentence refers to him. In fact I regret that Jan Didden has not chipped in at all in this thread; his experience with regulators is immense and I'm sure he could have contributed some awesome advice. Anyway, the entire interview can be found here:
]http://www.borbelyaudio.com/pics/BorbelyAnnalsMMM508.pdf

One last point. Looking at Erno Borbely's All-FET low-noise super shunt regulator one can see perhaps what inspired Are Waagbo.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Hey, Mr. Lumba, do you recognize the diff amp? I have great respect for Erno Borbely's work. If anything, he's got proven designs and if I really wanted a diff amp, I would have inspired myself from him.

So I have been aware of these particular designs for some time, and not only. I have implemented a few of them, including Are Waagbo's, Sultzer, Jung, and I can't recall how many variations on those. Implemented as real circuits. I've also ran them all through the simulator and, Lumba, I will not give up ltspice just because you think it's garbage. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but AFAIK your opinion cannot be very informed, or you wouldn't have said what you said.blablabla
 
ikoflexer,
You are saying that the transient analysis in ltspice does not show the dynamic course of events and therefore it is worthless?
Right, simply because the variables, position and momentum cannot be determined simultaneously. So simulators are useless for distortion analysis, the results shown are often in opposition, not just to physics, but common sense as well.
Fortunately, there`s no need to simulate straightforward circuits, like shunt regulators.
 

iko

Ex-Moderator
Joined 2008
Lumba Ogir said:
ikoflexer,

Right, simply because the variables, position and momentum cannot be determined simultaneously. So simulators are useless for distortion analysis, the results shown are often in opposition, not just to physics, but common sense as well.
Fortunately, there`s no need to simulate straightforward circuits, like shunt regulators.

I don't want this thread to turn into a philosophical debate on the merits and faults of using a simulator, so I suggest you start a new thread on that topic, and you can convince me or anybody else there to not use a simulator.

As far as I'm concerned, everyone should use whatever they like.
Thanks!
 
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