Class of power converter for converting DC from one voltage level to another, important in portable electronic devices, such as, cellular phones and laptops needing voltage levels different from that supplied by the battery. Conversion methods are:
Linear - Regulators drop the input voltage to a lower output voltage, but they are inefficient.
Switched-mode - Storing input energy and then releasing that energy to the output at a different voltage.
Magnetic (SMPS) - Storing energy in an inductor or a transformer for a period of time.
