General_Failure wrote:
It'd have a heatsink anyway. I always add them to voltage regulators.
Linear regulators have roughly the same input current as output current, so the efficiency, and hence power loss (heat) is approx. equal to the ratio of input and output voltages. So if you're pulling 200mA on the -5V rail, then you'll need to dissipate 1.4W in heat.
The datasheet should give enough information to make an informed decision on what size/capability (if any) heat sink is required.
Regards, -- | Mark McDougall | "Electrical Engineers do it | <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug> | with less resistance!"