Patent ID: 8004263

Claim:
A switching regulator for performing PWM control or VFM control according to a control switching signal input from outside, and converting an input voltage input to an input terminal into a predetermined constant voltage and outputting the predetermined constant voltage as an output voltage from an output terminal, the switching regulator comprising: a switch element configured to perform a switching operation so as to be turned on/off according to a control signal that has been input; an inductor configured to be charged by the input voltage according to the switching operation of the switch element; a rectification element configured to discharge the inductor in the event that the switch element is turned off and the inductor stops being charged; an error amplifying circuit unit configured to amplify a voltage difference between a predetermined first reference voltage and a proportional voltage that is proportional to the output voltage, and to output an amplified voltage corresponding to the amplified voltage difference; a slope voltage generating circuit unit configured to detect a current flowing through the switch element and generate and output a slope voltage having a slope corresponding to the detected current; and a switching control circuit unit configured to compare the slope voltage with the amplified voltage output from the error amplifying circuit unit, and control the switching operation of the switch element according to a result of the comparison, wherein: the switching control circuit unit generates a second reference voltage that corresponds to a voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage and that changes according to the control switching signal, compares the amplified voltage output from the error amplifying circuit unit with the second reference voltage, and controls the switching operation of the switch element by performing PWM control or VFM control according to a result of the comparison.