MC7806

The MC7806 is a fixed-output positive voltage regulator in the 78xx family, produced by various manufacturers. It provides a regulated 6-volt output from a higher input voltage and is used to power digital logic, regulators, and other electronic circuits. Like other three-terminal regulators, it integrates a reference, error amplifier, and pass transistor in a single package.

Typical characteristics include a fixed output of 6 V, with a maximum output current that can reach about 1 A when adequately heat-sunk. The input must be higher than the output voltage by a sufficient margin, commonly around 2 V or more, giving a dropout that depends on load and temperature. The operating input range is generally limited to a few tens of volts, with common datasheets listing up to about 25 V as the upper limit for safe operation. The device dissipates power as (Vin − Vout) × Iout, so thermal management is important in higher-current applications.

The standard package is a three-terminal device in a TO-220 or equivalent surface-mount package. Pin configuration (viewed from the front with markings) is typically input, ground, and output, but users should verify the specific variant's pinout in the corresponding datasheet.

Applications include simple linear power supplies, providing a stable 6 V rail for logic or peripheral circuits. Design considerations involve heat dissipation, input and output decoupling capacitors (for example, a small input capacitor of about 0.33 µF and an output capacitor of around 0.1 µF to improve stability and transient response), and protection against short circuits. The MC7806 can be exchanged for other 6 V regulators with equivalent pinouts, depending on voltage and current requirements.