and all i have right now in my hands are some linear's i need to reduce the 'Height' of my circuit for certain reasons related to the enclosure
can i just take the linear regulator and drop it and solder it laying down?
The answer is yes. The big pad on the back is typically connected to ground so be wary of shorts. It can actually benefit you to lay it down flat and wire the ground to the big pad as it will sink heat through the ground plane.
Check the pinouts! The tab is not always ground. The 5V regulator on the UNO, MC33269D-5.0, has a tab that is 5V - the cooling pad around the part is isolated from the ground plane around it.
You may need an installation kit that provides a mica insulator and insulators for the mounting screws (TO-220 package) and thermal grease to ensure good heat conduction.
CrossRoads:
Check the pinouts! The tab is not always ground. The 5V regulator on the UNO, MC33269D-5.0, has a tab that is 5V - the cooling pad around the part is isolated from the ground plane around it.
You may need an installation kit that provides a mica insulator and insulators for the mounting screws (TO-220 package) and thermal grease to ensure good heat conduction.
Good call. I have never used one myself that isn't ground but that does not rule out the possibility. Maybe it's a euro thing.
@CrossRoads yeah thats exactly what i was looking at, the Unos regulator and i did notice the additional pad it had underneath
@KE7GKP ah thanks for the info! im going to pick up a couple of those at mouser.
another question, you know those capacitors on the Uno with the silver casing and rather short stubby looking, what are those type of capacitors called? I like them
HighSeraphim:
Good call. I have never used one myself that isn't ground but that does not rule out the possibility. Maybe it's a euro thing.
No its a chip-design thing - the metal tab is normally bonded to the substrate of the IC. It depends on the process whether this is the most negative or most positive part of the circuit. For bipolar transistors it is usually the collector, and for power MOSFETs it is always the drain.