Adjustable shunt reference — setting the output voltage with two resistors
It operates as a shunt regulator — the load and the reference share the same current path, so the cathode current must stay above 80 µA for the device to regulate.
The ±1% initial tolerance is a standard precision grade — adequate for power-supply feedback, ADC references in 10- to 12-bit systems, and general-purpose biasing. For a 12-bit ADC reference, that drift may eat into the LSB budget; for a regulator feedback divider it is usually fine.
12 mA output — sizing the bias resistor
The shunt can sink up to 12 mA while maintaining regulation. The series resistor from the supply to the cathode must be chosen so that the total current (load + reference cathode current) stays between 80 µA and 12 mA. At minimum load, the cathode current must not drop below 80 µA or regulation is lost.
The base product number is LM4041; other tolerance and package variants in the family are available for dual-sourcing flexibility.