December 19, 2013 – Linear Technology Korea (CEO Hong Sa-gwak) announced the launch of a new product (model name: LT3086) in the LDO+™ product line that provides groundbreaking features unavailable in existing Linear regulators. The 40V, 2.1A low dropout linear regulator (LDO) includes externally configurable current limiting functionality and temperature monitoring capability with external control of current monitoring and thermal limit temperature. The device includes programmable power good status flag, cable drop compensation, and easy parallel connection. In the LT308x LDO product family, the current reference provides regulation and is independent of output voltage.

The LT3086 offers an input voltage range of 1.4V to 40V. Output voltage from 0.4V to 32V is programmed with a single resistor, and dropout voltage is only 330mV at 2.1A. The LT3086 achieves 0.1% line and load regulation regardless of output voltage. The trimmed, precision 50µA current reference has 1% accuracy and provides ±2% output voltage tolerance across line, load, and temperature. Output voltage regulation, bandwidth, transient response, and noise (40µVRMS) are independent of output voltage thanks to the device's unity-gain voltage follower architecture.

The proprietary internal circuitry requires no external ballast resistor and allows multiple LT3086 devices to be paralleled for higher load current and thermal spreading. Programmable cable drop compensation cancels regulation errors at the load caused by line drop. Output current and temperature monitoring provide system monitoring and diagnostic/debug capability together with power good flag functionality featuring programmable thresholds. Internal protection circuitry includes current limiting with thermal shutdown and foldback capability. Thermal limiting and current limiting are programmable. The device's reverse battery and reverse current protection add additional robustness to the final design.

The LT3086 is available in various thermally enhanced surface mount packages including low profile (0.75mm) 16-pin 4mm x 5mm DFN, 16-pin thermally enhanced TSSOP, and 7-pin DD-Pak. All devices dissipate 2W in surface mount applications without a heat sink. The LT3086 is available in a 7-pin TO-220 power package for vertical mounting with a heat sink for high power consumption applications. E and I grades are specified for -40°C to +125°C operating junction temperature range. MP grade is specified for -55°C to +125°C operating junction temperature range. Devices are available now, starting at $3.00 per unit at 1,000 unit quantity. Detailed information is available at www.linear.com/product/LT3086.

Photo Caption: 40V 2.1A Low Noise Low Dropout Linear Regulator