Compact Low Dropout (LDO) Voltage Regulators for Enhanced Power Rail Stabilization in Space-Constrained Designs

Published  November 27, 2020   0
TCR3RM Series LDO Voltage Regulators from Toshiba

With the aim to deliver enhanced power rail stabilization in space-constrained designs, Toshiba Electronics has released a series of low noise ultra-compact low dropout (LDO) voltage regulators with a high ripple rejection ratio. The new TCR3RM series comprises of 32 product variants that come in compact plastic DFN4C package and measures only 1.00 mm x 1.00 mm x 0.38 mm, making them suitable to be used in various portable and wearable devices, such as sensors, RF devices, and IoT applications.

The new LDO voltage regulators have fixed single output voltages in the range of 0.9 VDC to 4.5 VDC and a high ripple rejection ratio characteristic of 100 dB at 1 kHz measured with a 2.8 V output. Unlike other LDO regulators in the market with a ripple rejection ratio that usually drops 20 dB every 10-fold increase in frequency, the TCR3RM falls significantly less. The rejection ratio of the new LDO voltage regulators at 1 MHz and a 2.8 V output is 68 dB. The ripple rejection attributes coupled with its low noise credentials, typically 5 µVrms at 10 Hz ≤ f ≤ 100 kHz, contribute to a high degree of power supply line stability and voltage accuracy.

The TCR3RM series with a maximum output current of 300 mA employs a bandgap circuit, a low pass filter, and a low-noise, high-speed operational amplifier to provide the regulator with excellent ripple rejection and output noise specifications. The dropout voltage of the series is 130 mV at 2.8 V / 300 mA output and the input voltage range is from 1.8 V to 5.5 V. Other standout features of these LDO voltage regulators are overcurrent protection, auto discharge, and thermal shutdown safety, etc.