Abstract: The invention includes a flip-flop circuit that controls a main switching element of a DC-DC converter by switching and an oscillation circuit that is connected to a set terminal of the flip-flop circuit and outputs an oscillation signal that gradually increases and decreases in oscillation frequency in accordance with an increase and decrease in output voltage value of the DC-DC converter when the DC-DC converter is in a transition state between a stop state and a steady operation state. In a process that the output voltage gradually rises and gradually falls, the oscillation frequency of the oscillation signal gradually rises and gradually falls, a time interval at which the main switching element is set into a conductive state is extended. No excess electric power is supplied to the output voltage, and the output voltage can be made to have a smooth ramp waveform.

Abstract: There is provided a recording device capable of collecting information which makes it possible to investigate an accident. A recording section, such as a FeRAM, records vehicle information indicative of current conditions of the vehicle at predetermined recording intervals. An accident level-determining section determines whether or not an accident has occurred, based on a magnitude of an impact on the vehicle detected by an impact-detecting section. When it is determined that an accident has occurred, a recording control section causes the recording section to record the vehicle information at the recording intervals (e.g. 0.1 seconds) shorter than those (e.g. 1 second) before the accident. This makes it possible to use pre-accident information and post-accident information to thereby investigate an accident in more detail.