Fixed 15 V rail for analog and industrial loads
The LM2937ET-15 is a fixed-output positive LDO regulator delivering 15 V at up to 500 mA continuous. The dropout voltage is specified at 1 V maximum at 50 mA load — at light loads the headroom requirement is modest, but at full 500 mA the dropout will rise (the datasheet curve shows the typical value). Budget at least 1.5 V of input-to-output margin for the worst-case temperature and load combination. Built-in protection covers over-temperature, reverse polarity, and short circuit — these are the three failure modes that kill an unguarded linear regulator in a field installation. Reverse polarity protection means a miswired supply does not instantly destroy the part, which is a practical advantage in panel wiring or battery-powered equipment.
NRND — still orderable, but plan a successor
The RoHS status is listed as non-compliant. If your assembly line requires RoHS-compliant solder, you will need to handle this part separately — either hand-solder with leaded solder or find a Pb-free alternative. This is a common constraint for legacy through-hole parts that predate the RoHS directive. For a new design, look at TI's current LDO family with a fixed 15 V output in a TO-220 package — the TPS7A47 series or the LM2940 series are typical cross-shop candidates, though pin compatibility must be verified against the specific footprint and output capacitor requirements.
TO-220-3 — through-hole mounting and thermal design
The LM2937ET-15 comes in a TO-220-3 through-hole package. At 500 mA output and a typical dropout of 1.5 V, the power dissipation is about 0.75 W. For higher input voltages or enclosed boxes, bolt the tab to a chassis or add a clip-on heatsink.