15 µH shielded inductor for DC-DC conversion
The Coilcraft LPS5015-153MRC is a 15 µH shielded drum-core inductor in the LPS5015 series, rated for 730 mA continuous current with a 360 mOhm max DCR.
Current, saturation, and thermal margins
The 730 mA rated current is the DC level at which the self-heating from I²R losses raises the winding temperature within the ferrite's safe operating area. The saturation current of 800 mA sits 9.6% above the continuous rating — the core begins to lose inductance once the DC bias exceeds the rated current, so any pulsed or transient load that pushes current above 730 mA must be checked against the Isat limit to avoid a sudden inductance drop that destabilises the converter. The 38 MHz self-resonant frequency is well above the typical 200 kHz to 2 MHz switching range of most DC-DC converters using a 15 µH inductor. The SRF marks where the parasitic capacitance across the winding cancels the inductive reactance; keeping the switching noise at least a decade below 38 MHz avoids SRF peaking that would increase ripple or radiated emissions. The ferrite core material's Curie temperature is well above 125°C, so the inductance drop at high temperature is dominated by the DC bias effect, not core demagnetisation.
The low profile fits under heat sinks or in card-edge clearance zones on a 1.6 mm PCB where the inductor must not protrude above the adjacent components. The strip packing is suited for prototype builds or low-volume production — reel quantities are available on request. At the 800 mA saturation point the inductance drops by 10% from the nominal 15 µH, so the effective inductance under full-load conditions can be as low as 10.8 µH (15 µH × 0.8 × 0.9). The converter's compensation network must account for this range to maintain loop stability across load and temperature.
Lifecycle and supply posture
It remains a current production item sourced through authorised distribution.