Boost regulator with a 1V minimum input
The MAX1796EUA+T is a step-up (boost) switching regulator from Analog Devices that starts from an input as low as 1V and delivers up to 5.5V at the output, with a 400mA integrated switch handling the inductor current. Switching at 500kHz, it uses a synchronous rectifier — that internal FET replaces the usual Schottky diode, so the efficiency stays higher across the load range and the external BOM shrinks by one diode.
Output voltage and package fit
The output is adjustable (programmable) with a minimum fixed option of 2V, and the datasheet also lists 3.3V and 5V as preset choices — handy for powering a 3.3V sensor or a 5V logic rail from a single-cell battery. It comes in an 8-TSSOP or 8-MSOP package (3.00mm width), with the supplier device package called 8-uMAX/uSOP — a hand-solderable footprint if you have a fine tip and steady hands, though the 0.65mm pitch means a stencil is cleaner for more than a couple boards.