Patent ID: 8872491

Claim:
A regulator comprising: an error amplifier that compares a reference voltage with a feedback voltage obtained by voltage division of a voltage of an output terminal and outputs a voltage that accords to an error; a soft start circuit that gradually starts up the reference voltage that is input into said error amplifier; and a soft start reset circuit that monitors an input of said error amplifier and performs soft start of said soft start circuit again when an output of said output terminal is short-circuited, wherein said soft start circuit has a capacitor that stores electric charge; and said soft start reset circuit comprises: a comparator comprising a differential stage configured to receive the reference voltage that is input from said soft start circuit into said error amplifier and a voltage obtained by superposing an input offset on the feedback voltage input from said output terminal into said error amplifier, and that compares the voltages received by the differential stage; and a transistor that is turned on or off in accordance with a result of comparison of said comparator and discharges said capacitor by being turned on when the output is short-circuited.