Thanks for this good reference. First time I saw a detailed analysis of this type of circuit.
I used capacitor voltage step down in quite a number of my designs. They are cheap compared to a transformer step down, but I only use it with very low budget designs for reasons stated in that publication- this circuit is virtually defenseless to fast transients. I am happy it went along with one improvement that Ive been doing : add a series resistor in the circuit to provide some level of protection against potentially harmful transients.
Also worthwhile noting is the recommended use of Class X capacitors (Capacitors rated with AC working voltage). I have seen designs and actual products using the wrong type DC rated capacitors (e.g. 600VDC). This perhaps explains the short service life these products usually offers.
