Current handling: continuous vs saturation
The DFE252010F-R82M=P2: Rated for 3.3 A continuous (heating-limited) and 4.5 A saturation (Isat). The 1.2 A gap between the two means the inductor retains most of its inductance well past the rated DC current — useful for designs where the load current spikes above the average but stays under the saturation knee.
DC resistance and loss budget
Maximum DCR is 40 mOhm. The iron-powder core runs cooler than ferrite at high ripple frequencies, which helps keep the DCR rise in check.
Construction and shielding
Shielded drum-core wirewound with flat-wire winding. The flat-wire geometry packs more copper cross-section into the 2.5 mm x 2.0 mm footprint than round wire, which is why the DCR stays at 40 mOhm despite the compact size. Shielding reduces radiated field coupling into adjacent traces — relevant when the inductor sits near a sensitive analog or RF section.
The iron-powder core material maintains stable inductance across this band without the permeability collapse ferrites show near their Curie point.
