1A step-down with synchronous rectification
The MCP16311T-E/MNY is a 1A step-down buck regulator from Microchip Technology, built around a synchronous rectifier topology that eliminates the external freewheeling diode — the internal low-side FET handles the return current, which cuts the dropout and keeps the efficiency curve flatter across the load range. Switching at 500 kHz, the inductor and output capacitor shrink to a 0805 or smaller footprint — the trade-off is that the switching losses in the FETs start to climb above this frequency, so 500 kHz is the sweet spot for a 1A rail where board space matters more than a few milliwatts of quiescent loss.