78M05 5V 500mA Linear Voltage Regulator

78M05 — 5V / 500mA Linear Voltage Regulator (TO-252)

The 78M05 is a compact, three-terminal linear regulator that delivers a fixed 5.0 V output with up to 0.5 A (500 mA) load capability, making it ideal for powering microcontrollers, TTL/CMOS logic, sensors, LED drivers and small motor-control electronics in industrial and commercial systems. It accepts a wide input voltage range (typical datasheet window: 7 V to 35 V) and provides a stable, low-noise 5 V rail with high precision (voltage tolerance typically around ±2% for common device versions), so designs with fluctuating supply sources or noisy inputs maintain reliable operation.

Built-in protection features give the 78M05 strong resilience in real-world deployments: internal thermal shutdown, short-circuit/current limiting and safe-area (SOA) compensation protect the regulator and downstream circuitry against overheating and overloads. The device typically shows a dropout (minimum input-to-output differential) of about 2 V at high load, so designers should allow appropriate headroom and use a heat sink or PCB thermal pad when operating near the 500 mA limit. Because it requires no external compensation components for basic use (although small input/output capacitors improve transient response), the 78M05 is easy to integrate onto space-constrained PCBs while retaining excellent transient and line-regulation performance. 

Packaged in TO-252 (D-PAK) surface-mount or the through-hole TO-220 family, the 78M05 balances compact layout and thermal performance for automotive, solar, embedded and consumer electronics. Its combination of durability, predictable thermal behaviour and low quiescent complexity makes it popular with engineers who need a rugged, low-cost local regulator for boards, modules and fielded equipment. For design verification, application notes, thermal graphs and absolute maximum ratings consult the manufacturer datasheet linked below.

Key specs (from manufacturer datasheets)