The STMicroelectronics L7808CV-DG is a fixed-output positive linear voltage regulator delivering a regulated 8V rail at up to 1.5A. It comes in the standard TO-220-3 through-hole package, which bolts to a heatsink for thermal management. This is the workhorse three-terminal regulator for any board that needs a clean 8V bus from a higher, unregulated DC input up to 35V. Typical applications include powering analog circuits, sensor front-ends, relay coils, or small microcontrollers that require a stable 8V supply. The 56dB power-supply rejection ratio at 120Hz means it filters 120Hz ripple from a rectified AC source effectively — useful in industrial power supplies and motor-drive control boards where the DC bus carries line-frequency hash. For outdoor or under-hood use, you would step up to an automotive-grade part, but for a panel-mount power supply or bench equipment this range is fine.
Rated for 1.5A continuous output, this regulator can handle a modest load: a few op-amps, a small relay bank, or a low-power MCU plus its peripherals. The dropout voltage is 2V max at 1A typical, so you need at least 10V input to maintain regulation at full load. With a 35V absolute maximum input, you have headroom for a 24V industrial rail or a loosely regulated 12V supply. For always-on line-powered gear, it is negligible.
Protection and reliability
Built-in over-temperature shutdown and short-circuit protection mean the regulator survives a fault without blowing up. In a panel environment where a wiring mistake or a failed downstream component can dump a short across the output, these protections save a board swap.