An input source voltage is supplied from a battery for example to a
switching power supply circuit such as a switching DC-DC converter via a
series regulator for stepping down the input source voltage by a constant
voltage. The series regulator serves as a buffer having a variable
resistance to reduce the switching noise generated by the switching power
supply circuit, thereby reducing the switching noise in the input source
voltage and in turn reducing adverse influence of the noise on other
circuit blocks that operate at the input source voltage.