A voltage regulator is used to reduce and regulate the voltage of a circuit. Components such as sensors and microcontrollers typically need a very specific regulated voltage to ensure accurate readings or stable operation. These simple low drop out regulators are perfect for that job.

The MC7812 is a drop in replacement for the popular LM7812 of past. This specific regulator will convert anything between 14.5VDC and 35VDC to a regulated 12VDC. These do not technically require any additional circuitry to work; when 14.5V – 35V is applied to the input pin the output pin will have 12V out. We do recommend using a few capacitors with these to ensure stability.

Please note: As the load increases towards the maximum rating on these regulators they do tend to get quite warm. The temperature increase is also proportional to the input voltage; the higher the input voltage the warmer this regulator will run. Basically, the higher the input voltage, the lower the sustainable output current will be. Heatsinks are always a good idea with these chips!