Capless Regulators – Addressing Load Transient Challenges

Modern portable electronics devices impose stringent requirements on power management integrated circuits (ICs). In particular, the load regulation capability of low-dropout regulators (LDOs) is in high demand. Traditional LDOs rely on large output capacitors for load transient compensation, whereas capless regulators connect directly to the load and depend on alternative compensation techniques.

This white paper examines the load transients of recently proposed capless regulators, emphasizing fundamental aspects that are often overlooked. Load transient analysis is both a practical design concern and a theoretical exploration. It is a practical consideration because ensuring robust load transient regulation is typically one of the final challenges in designing this class of circuits.