This document introduces Linear Technology's Virtual Remote Sensing technology, which improves load regulation by compensating for wiring drops
Accurately regulating voltage at a load is difficult when significant voltage drops occur between the power supply and the load due to wiring resistance. Conventional solutions like adding extra wires for remote sensing or placing regulators directly at the load have limitations regarding complexity, efficiency, or space.
Linear Technology introduces the LT4180 Virtual Remote Sense (VRS) controller as a solution that avoids these pitfalls. The device interrogates line impedance by alternating output current and dynamically adjusts the regulator's output voltage to maintain a constant voltage at the load, regardless of load current or wire resistance.
Virtual Remote Sensing is a control method that compensates for voltage drops in long cable runs without using extra remote sense wires.
The LT4180 works by alternating the output current between 95% and 105% of the required current to measure voltage drops.