In addition, while LDO regulators are typically one of the lowest-cost components in any given system, it is often one of the most valuable from a cost\/benefit perspective. In addition to output voltage regulation, another key task of LDO regulators is to protect expensive back-end loads from harsh environmental conditions such as voltage transients, power supply noise, reverse voltage, electrical surges, etc. In short, the design must be robust and include all protective features to suppress environmental performance impacts while protecting the load. Many low-cost LDO linear regulators fail without the necessary protection, causing damage not only to the regulator itself, but also to the back-end load.
Comparison of LDO regulators with other regulators
Low voltage step-down conversion and regulation can be achieved by various methods.
Switching regulators can operate efficiently over a wide voltage range, but require external components (such as inductors and capacitors) to work, and therefore occupy a relatively large area of the board. Non-inductive charge pumps (or switched capacitor voltage converters) can also be used to achieve lower voltage conversions and generally operate more efficiently (depending on the conversion area), but have limited output current capabilities, poor transient performance, and require more external components than linear regulators.