Fixed 4.096V output — the ADC reference sweet spot
That voltage is not arbitrary — it maps cleanly to the full-scale range of many 12- to 16-bit ADCs and DACs, giving a 1 mV per LSB step at 12 bits without external scaling. The 4.096V rail also sits comfortably within the 4.296V to 18V input range, so it can be fed from a 5V or 12V supply rail without a pre-regulator.
The ±0.05% initial tolerance means the output is within 2 mV of 4.096V at 25°C — no trim pot needed in most production runs. For a 16-bit system the 3 µVp-p noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz) becomes the limiting factor, not the DC accuracy.
10 mA output — driving the reference input
The 10 mA output current is enough to bias the reference input of most SAR ADCs and the internal buffer of a precision DAC. The 1.2 mA supply current is the quiescent draw of the reference itself — it does not include the load current, so budget the total from the input rail. The series topology means the load current comes from the input, not from a resistor divider, so the output stays stable under varying load.
8-SOIC package and temperature range
The 8-SOIC footprint is shared by many precision references, so a layout designed for one can often accept this part without a board spin.