Small surface mount LDO regulators lower power consumption

Toshiba Electronics Europe has launched two new series of small surface mount LDO regulators for application in the power supply of mobile devices, imaging and audio-visual products.

The 40 regulators in the TCR5BM series support a dropout voltage (VDO) as low as 100mV and a maximum output current of 500mA, while 40 additional devices in the TCR8BM series extend options with a 170mV VDO and 800mA output current. The TCR5BM and TCR8BM series are both available with VOUT options in the range 0.8V to 3.6V.

Both are suited to applications that include power supplies for microcontrollers (MCU), RF devices, and camera CMOS sensors in mobile devices or imaging and audio-visual equipment, which increasingly require lower voltage supplies in the region of 1.0V.

By using a low on-resistance N-channel MOSFET fabricated with the latest generation process and external bias voltage, both series have significantly reduced the dropout voltage that causes power loss, to approximately 33% less than Toshiba’s current products. These levels, according to Toshiba, represent the lowest dropout voltages in the industry.

In addition, with a 98 dB ripple rejection ratio, these products are able to deliver stable operation resistant to high frequency noise from the external environment and DC-DC converters, both of which are potential causes of improper operation. They also deliver a fast load transient response that prevents malfunctioning due to swift switching of IC operation modes.

Quiescent current (TCR5BM=19μA, TCR8BM=20μA) is about 50% lower than other high current LDO regulators in the market, enabling lower power consumption in applications and thereby delivering longer operating times for battery-driven devices.

Both series are housed in the small surface mount DFN5B package with a footprint of just 1.2 x 1.2mm.

Mass production has already started and shipments are now happening.