Voltage regulators are electrical or electronic devices that maintain the voltage of a power source within acceptable limits. There are two main types: linear regulators, which operate with low efficiency, and switching regulators, which operate with high efficiency. Voltage regulators are found in computer power supplies, where they stabilize voltages used by processors, and in automobile alternators and power plants, where they control the plant's output voltage. Their purpose is to keep voltages close to a desired value.