It is a shunt (two-terminal) reference, meaning it behaves like a Zener diode — it sinks current from the supply rail through a series resistor to regulate the voltage at the output node. The ±0.5% initial tolerance and 50 ppm/°C temperature coefficient make it a solid choice for precision feedback dividers in switching regulators, ADC reference inputs, or as a stable bias in sensor conditioning circuits.
12 mA output and 70 µA cathode current — sizing the series resistor
The LM4051 can sink up to 12 mA of output current. The minimum cathode current is 70 µA.
The base product number is LM4051, and the 'C' grade indicates the ±0.5% tolerance tier; there are also lower-tolerance 'A' and 'B' grades in the same family if your design needs tighter accuracy.
SOT-23-3 footprint — layout notes
The LM4051CIM3-ADJ is supplied in a SOT-23-3 package, also listed as TO-236-3 / SC-59 / SOT-23-3. The three pins are: cathode, anode, and adjust.