470 µH shielded power inductor for automotive and industrial DC-DC
The Coilcraft LPS6235-474MRC is a 470 µH shielded drum core inductor rated for 320 mA continuous DC with a saturation current floor of 220 mA — the point at which inductance begins to roll off under peak load. That makes it suitable for under-hood power supplies, sensor modules, and infotainment rails where the ambient temperature can hit 105°C and the part sees continuous vibration.
Saturation current and DCR — the two numbers that govern the rail
The 220 mA saturation current is the hard ceiling for peak inductor current before the ferrite core saturates and the inductance collapses. A downstream buck converter drawing 300 mA peaks would push this inductor into saturation, causing ripple current to spike and output voltage to droop. The 320 mA continuous rating is the thermal limit at 25°C ambient; derate for higher ambient temperatures per the Coilcraft application note. With a 1.6 Ohm max DCR, the DC winding resistance contributes about 0.5 V drop at full rated current. In a 5 V rail that is a 10 % voltage drop before the regulator's feedback loop corrects it — the PCB trace resistance and the inductor DCR together determine the actual rail voltage at the load. The self-resonant frequency of 3.6 MHz sets the upper bound for the switching frequency of the converter. Operating a switching regulator above 1.8 MHz (half the SRF) risks the inductor behaving capacitively, increasing AC losses and radiated emissions.
Active production, no lifecycle risk for new designs
The shielded construction and 2424 (6060 Metric) footprint make it a drop-in replacement for other 6.2 mm square shielded inductors in the same inductance and current class — but confirm the DCR and saturation current against the existing BOM position before committing.