It comes in a TO-263-4 (D²Pak) surface-mount package with three leads plus the tab — the tab is the output and the primary heat path, so the PCB copper area under it determines how much current you can actually pull before hitting the thermal limit. The 1V max dropout at full load means you need at least 13V on the input to hold regulation; a 26V absolute maximum input gives headroom for 24V nominal rails with margin. The 66 dB PSRR at 120 Hz is useful when the input comes from a full-wave rectified bulk supply — it knocks down the 120 Hz ripple before it reaches the load. Protection is built in: over-current, over-temperature, reverse polarity, and short circuit. That reduces the need for external crowbar or clamp circuits on the output. Quiescent current runs 10 mA typical, 15 mA max — not a low-Iq part for battery standby, but acceptable for always-on industrial rails where the load current dominates.
Active lifecycle and RoHS compliance — no LTB pressure
The /NOPB suffix confirms RoHS3 compliance and lead-free construction, so it passes the usual EU and global material restrictions without an exemption. For a production BOM this means no forced redesign cycle from obsolescence.
Package and thermal — the tab is your heatsink
The large copper tab on the bottom carries the bulk of the dissipation. At 1A output with 13V input (1V dropout), the regulator dissipates roughly 1W — manageable with a modest copper pour on the PCB. At higher input voltages the dropout stays the same but the pass element sees the full Vin–Vout differential, so thermal design needs to account for the actual input rail, not just the dropout figure. The fixed 12V output needs no external resistor divider. The output capacitor should be a low-ESR electrolytic or tantalum in the 10 µF to 100 µF range for stability — the datasheet's recommended range, not the bare minimum. Ceramic caps with high DC bias derating can drop below the required capacitance at voltage, so check the effective capacitance at 12V.