LM317 integrated circuit which is commonly used as a linear voltage regulator in DC circuits. It is widely available as a TO-220 package which is called LM317T.  Electronic circuits that use linear voltage regulators can maintain a constant voltage regardless of changes in the input voltage or load. This is crucial since a lot of electronic devices, like sensors and microcontrollers, depend on a steady voltage to operate.

LM317 Voltage Parameters-

• Output voltage ranges from 1.25V to 37V according to the datasheet.
• Max input voltage of LM317 is not specified in the datasheet. Instead, an input-to-output differential voltage range is given. This difference can be a maximum of up to 40V. For example, if we desire 15V at the output, then the voltage at the input terminal of LM317 can be 55V (i.e.15V+40V).
• LM317 requires a minimum dropout voltage of 3V. Dropout voltage is the voltage difference between the input and output terminals for reliable voltage regulation.

LM317 Current Parameters-

• The maximum output current is 1.5 A if the input voltage ranges between 4.25V to 40V.
• The IC requires a minimum load current of around 3.5 mA to maintain regulation.