It delivers a fixed 4.096V output with a tight ±0.2% initial tolerance, making it a common reference for ADC and DAC circuits that need a stable voltage rail for conversion accuracy. Operating as a shunt reference, it regulates by shunting current through the cathode, drawing just 73 µA typical. The low operating current keeps the thermal budget small in tight layouts, but the trade-off is that a series resistor must be sized to supply both the load and the reference's own cathode current.
That means TI has flagged it for eventual phase-out — new builds should not use this part, and existing BOMs need a documented replacement strategy before the last-time-buy window closes. For production runs already qualified, the part remains available through independent distribution.
SOT-23-3 footprint and temperature range
The part comes in a SOT-23-3 package (also listed as TO-236-3, SC-59). It is a surface-mount shunt reference, so the cathode pin connects to the load and the anode goes to ground — the series resistor between the supply and cathode sets the operating current. The temperature coefficient is 100 ppm/°C, which for a 4.096V reference means about 410 µV drift over a 10°C change — fine for 12-bit systems but marginal for 16-bit designs without calibration.