Shunt regulators raise efficiency of low power systems
1 min read
New programmable shunt regulators from Diodes are said to raise the efficiency of low power systems due to a minimum cathode current for regulation of typically only 40µA.
According to Diodes, the ZXRE250 and ZXRE252 programmable shunt regulators enable efficiency improvements to be made in power supply and local voltage regulation applications in a range of consumer electronics applications. Typical applications include computers, set top boxes and LCD televisions.
The devices have the same electrical specifications as the company's TL431 but with a 10x lower cathode current. The three terminal regulators are designed to offer 'excellent temperature stability' and the output current handles up to 100mA. The devices' regulated output can be set to any voltage between 2.5 and 36V using a pair of external divider resistors.
The ZXRE250 is provided in a choice of SOT23 and SOT25 packages, while the ZXRE252 has an alternative pinout in SOT23. The parts incorporate standard reference voltage tolerance options of 1 and 0.5%, with a wide operating temperature range of -40 to 125°C. The regulators can also be used as direct replacements for Zener diodes in applications requiring an improvement in Zener performance.
