±2.2% tolerance — production-grade precision
The ±2.2% tolerance on the 2.495 V reference is the tightest standard band for a shunt reference in this family — tighter than the ±5% commodity grade, but wider than the ±1% or ±0.5% precision tiers.
100 mA cathode current — load budget for the bias rail
The 100 mA output current rating defines the sink capability of this shunt regulator. It is the number to budget when sizing the cathode resistor for a given load — whether driving an optocoupler LED, powering a small bias rail, or setting a voltage threshold. The minimum cathode current of 1 mA ensures the device stays in regulation down to light loads.
SOT-23-5 footprint — pin-compatible with industry-standard TL431
The SOT-23-5 package (SC-74A) is the de facto footprint for shunt references in compact power supplies. It is pin-compatible with the TL431AIDBZR and most other SOT-23 TL431 variants, so requalification for a second source is a straight swap — no board spin, no BOM rework.