LDO Linear Regulator Line Touts Low Power And Noise Specs

Promising to greatly extend the battery life of portable, communication and computer systems, the five-device Power Linear line is said to be the lowest power and noise low dropout (LDO) linear regulators on the market. The line embraces two families: Nanopower LDOs for applications requiring maximum battery life; and MicroPower LDOs for use where low noise, fast transient response and high power supply ripple rejection (PSRR) are called for. The three-member Nanopower family features a quiescent current of just 1.1 µA (typ.) and a dropout voltage of only 200 mV (typ.) at a guaranteed output current of 150 mA. The AAT3221/3222 Nanopower regulators have an enable pin that, when pulled low, activates a shutdown mode, extending the device's power conservation capabilities. The third Nanopower chip does not have the pin. All three devices also have a wide, -40¡C to 85¡C operating temperature range and output short-circuit and over-current protection. The two-member MicroPower family includes the AAT3215, which boasts of a 140-mV dropout voltage and 95-µA quiescent current at full output, and the AAT3236 LDO delivering a continuous 300 mA of load current and supporting current peaks of up to 500 mA for short durations. Both devices also deliver a PSRR of 70 dB at 1 kHz and 50 dB at 10 kHz and offer internal output short-circuit protection a thernak shutdown capability. The five LDOs come in SOT23 or SC70J packages. For more details, contact Jan Nilsson at ADVANCED ANALOGIC TECHNOLOGIES INC., Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 524-9684, ext. 164.