Linear regulator efficiency
💡 recommendationWhat it checks
A design-level cousin of the dissipation check: flags a linear regulator whose drop × load makes it an inefficient heater, using the circuit's actual rails and draws where resolvable.
Why it matters
Past a watt of waste heat, the linear-vs-switcher decision deserves a deliberate yes. Sometimes linear is right anyway — noise-critical analog rails love LDOs — but it should be a choice, not an accident.
How to fix it
A buck converter for the big drop, optionally followed by an LDO for the quiet final volt — the standard 'switcher does the work, LDO does the polish' pattern.
When it's intended
If the heat budget is fine and the LDO is there for noise, that's a legitimate call — recommendations don't block anything. In the editor, mark any error or warning intended with a note — it mutes the finding without hiding it, and the note stays with the design.
Findings name the exact net and pin, with the numbers behind the verdict. Free, in your browser, no account needed.
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