Fixed 5 V rail, 1.5 A continuous — the TO-220 workhorse
The L7805CV is a three-terminal positive regulator delivering a fixed 5 V output at up to 1.5 A continuous, in the through-hole TO-220-3 package. It is the standard part for anyone building a 5 V logic or analog supply from an unregulated DC rail up to 35 V input. The 62 dB PSRR at 120 Hz attenuates mains ripple on the input, suitable for powering op-amp rails or ADC reference supplies.
Dropout headroom and thermal budget
Typical dropout voltage is 2 V at 1 A output — the input must stay at least 2 V above the output to maintain regulation at full load. Quiescent current is 8 mA typical — this is the current the regulator burns to run its internal bias, independent of load. In a battery-powered design this 8 mA floor may be a concern; in a line-powered system it is negligible. The TO-220 package has a junction-to-case thermal resistance typical for the class.
Active production — sourcing through authorized channels
The base product number covers a family of fixed-voltage regulators in TO-220, DPAK, and other packages. The 'CV' suffix identifies the TO-220 through-hole variant.
Second-source and cross-reference landscape
The L7805CV is a standard 7805-series regulator — functionally interchangeable with any TO-220 7805 from other manufacturers (e.g., LM7805, MC7805) as long as the pinout (input-ground-output) and package match. The ST part is specified with a 2 V dropout at 1 A and 62 dB PSRR at 120 Hz, which is typical for the 7805 class.