Step-down voltage regulator

A step-down voltage regulator, comprising:

• a configurable integrated switch circuit, which includes a configurable analysis and control unit, a configurable actuation circuit, a configurable compensation circuit, and at least one controllable semiconductor switch;
• and
• an external wiring with different components, the wiring being electrically connected to connections of the integrated switch circuit;
• wherein:
• a feedback signal which represents an output voltage that can be tapped at an output of the integrated switch circuit is fed back to the analysis and control unit, which generates, based on the feedback signal, at least one switch signal in combination with the actuation circuit and outputs the switch signal to the at least one controllable semiconductor switch such that a closed control loop for regulating an output voltage is produced from an input voltage applied to an input of the integrated switch circuit, the output voltage maximally having a voltage level of the input voltage;
• the integrated switch circuit comprises a first interface terminal and a second interface terminal;
• the external wiring comprises a first external component set and a second external component set, each of which is structured to be selectively and interchangeably connectable between the first interface terminal and the second interface terminal, such that either the first external component set or the second external component set is electrically connected between the first and second interface terminals at a time;
• the configurable integrated switch circuit is configured to receive a configuration setting via pin coding or programming by a microcontroller and to enable or disable internal functional circuitry in accordance with the configuration setting;
• the configurable integrated switch circuit, when configured in a first configuration in response to the configuration setting and corresponding to connection of the first external component set between the first and second interface terminals, disables a first internal functional component set including at least a portion of the actuation circuit and the compensation circuit and operates as a linear regulator;
• and
• the configurable integrated switch circuit, when configured in a second configuration in response to the configuration setting and corresponding to connection of the second external component set between the first and second interface terminals, enables the first internal functional component set and operates as a step-down switch converter.