The number of voltage regulators on the market can leave you scratching your head. What’s the difference between the different types, and which type is best for your application? Once you’ve determined that, how do you find the optimum component?

In this Ask a Developer Demo, DevHeads resident hardware design expert @ShreeshaN97 walks us through the fundamentals of low dropout regulators (LDOs). Then, he fires up LTSpice to compare how two different devices—Analog Devices’ ADP160 and the Linear Technology (technically also Analog Devices) LT1117—perform in a theoretical battery application. And, very quickly, he determines a clear favorite.