Stabilization factor
The absolute stabilization factor G or the smoothing factor G indicates the ratio of the input voltage change to the output voltage change of a voltage stabilization . Many electronic circuits require a supply voltage that is as constant as possible. This can be achieved, for example, by connecting the load in parallel to a Zener diode , which can be used as a voltage stabilizer. The absolute stabilization factor (smoothing factor) G is given as:
- .
Furthermore, a relative stabilization factor S is also defined. It indicates how many times larger the relative change in input voltage is to the relative change in output voltage. It is therefore a standardized stabilization factor. This is defined as:
- .
A high stabilization factor is characterized by the fact that the output voltage is subject to very little fluctuations when the supply voltage or the load is changed. The steeper the i - u characteristic curve of the Zener diode, the smaller the fluctuations . This corresponds to a very small differential resistance at the operating point.
The temperature dependency can often be kept so small that it does not affect the stabilization properties. Zener diodes up to 8 V have negative temperature coefficients and above 8 V positive temperature coefficients. A combined series connection to the desired Z-voltage minimizes the influence of temperature.