At 11:56 PM 3/14/01 -0500, Kevin Olalde wrote:
>Great, thanks all, this will get me started.  I think a switching
>regulator may be what I need.  I'd rather not have to put 4 AAAs in the
>project just to use a LDO to get back to 5V (too big/heavy anyway, I'm
>going for small).  Are all switching regulators so expensive (>$5
>range)?

In small quantities they aren't cheap.
In volume, you buy your inductors in china for pennies, and you might not
even use an SMPS chip, just a couple of transistors.

Low current boost regs are a great way to get started with switchers.
Well behaved, and if anything goes wrong, minimal smoke.

Beware the charlatan with the charge pump capacitor converter though. The
efficiency is terrible.

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