The ADP3050 is a current-mode monolithic buck (step-down) PWM switching regulator that contains a high current 1 A power switch and all control, logic, and protection functions. It uses a unique compensation scheme that allows the use of any type of output capacitor (tantalum, ceramic, electrolytic, OS-CON). Unlike some buck regulators, the design is not restricted to using a specific type of output capacitor or ESR value. A special boosted drive stage is used to saturate the NPN power switch, providing a system efficiency higher than conventional bipolar buck switchers. Further efficiency improvements are obtained by using the low voltage regulated output to provide the device's internal operating current. A high switching frequency allows the use of small external surface-mount components. A wide variety of standard off-the-shelf devices can be used, providing a great deal of design flexibility. A complete regulator design requires only a few external components.