In my job as an analog (system) engineer, I look at datasheets on a regular basis. There are few other ways that vendors can communicate how a component will behave under a variety of situations. The format of most datasheets for analog components are rich with lab-tested data in a variety of situations. That same multitude of data can really confuse an engineer (or others), from those just starting out to those who have been in the business for many years. Much like the “conversations” category that was introduced in the last post, I think that a regular analysis of different components from different families and vendors can really help someone figure out where to look on a datasheet for the most pertinent data and then allow that person to utilize the data however they need.

Let’s look at the data sheet for one of the most famous components of all time, the LM317, a 3-terminal adjustable voltage regulator. You can follow along from the actual file, just download it from the product page on the upper right.

As you scroll through this datasheet, you’ll see sections that are common throughout many discrete component datasheets, especially analog ones.

• Overview/General Description
  • Not a brain-buster here. This explains the basic use of the product, why you might want to use it possibly calling out the most attractive characteristic of said product.
• Features
  • This is a more specific list of the attributes the manufacturer wants to highlight. In later “Spec Sheet Dives”, we’ll look specifically at the highlighted specifications, how they match up to other manufacturers, if you should really care about them and if the manufacturer is telling the whole truth. The most interesting thing about the “features” section (in my opinion) is what they leave out, not what they put in
• Typical Applications
  • Often a vendor will showcase the most standard configuation of a part. In the case of the LM317, it’s a simple unregulated voltage in and a regulated voltage out (with some controlling discrete components). And believe me, there are a lot more complicated things one can use an LM317 for. An op amp might have show a photodiode amplifier if it operates well with high impedances and a transistor might be shown in an output stage of an audio amplifier if it was designed for high power and precision.
• Package Information
  • Parts come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, moreso now more than ever. Companies try to lock you into their part using a non-standard part shape or they might believe they have the best design for a super-small package with good heat dissipation. Whatever the case (ha!), it’s important to check to see whether or not a particular packaging will suit your needs (going to be soldering by hand? Don’t pick a BGA part).
• Ratings (temperature, current, power, etc)
  • Hopefully you are not even coming close to these extreme limits a part can be stressed to, but it does happen. If you operate outside the specifications (below), often the manufacturer will inform you that their part is specifed in a very specific way and numbers outside of that are subject to derating. If you operate outside the ratings however, good luck even talking to someone from the company. That’d be like going back to Dell with a laptop you dropped in the Artic Ocean and expecting it to work. Sorry, some things just can’t be done. So seriously, at least stay within the ratings if you hope to ever complain to a vendor about part performance.
• Electrical Characteristics (Specifications)
  • I’ll be blunt;. this section (and one other) is all that matters on a datasheet. Without the other info, it would be difficult to figure out certain things (what kind of layout you’ll need, when the part will blow up, etc), but without the electrical characteristics, you know basically nothing about how the part behaves. You would have to assume that the component is some slightly imperfect model of the ideal component, but you won’t know HOW imperfect it is (and that’s important). This section of the datasheet is almost exclusively what we’ll concentrate on in future articles, namely which specifications are the most critical to most applications.
• Characteristic Curves
  • I ignored this section when I was just starting out in electronics, only to later find how helpful the data can be. True, most of the curves utilize ideal conditions, but they can often be extrapolated to whatever condition you may be encountering. Knowing how a component will behave along a continuous axis … well, that’s what make analog components in the first place. They also point out all those weird conditions you could never really tell from the electrical characteristics by themselves. If the sheet says the voltage offset t the input of an op amp is usually 1 mV but you see the curves vary wildly over temperature, you might be reluctant to use that part in a harsh environment.
• Application Information
  • This is the section I mentioned back in the electrical characteristic section as one of the few that actually matters. In terms of usefulness to engineers (and others), the application section often designs a circuit for you to drop into your design. While it’s tempting to try and come up with a better method, what is the likelihood that you will come up with a better configuration than the people that designed the parts and talked to the most customers? The application information can also be a great source of general knowledge. In many books describing analog eletronics, the authors often quote application information as a way to learn new techniques and non-standard ways to use a component (such as using a voltage regulator in a non-standard way).

While these are not the only sections of all datasheets, these are the most common and important sections of datasheets to figure out what you’re doing with a particular component. You can always try to play around with a component until it works, but why not figure out the answer from the beginning (at least within a 95% confidence interval)? With a critical eye towards the overzealous nature of marketers and product salesmen, the reader can easily decifer necessary information for their project and how to easily compare it among multiple product offerings. If you become proficient in pulling necessary data from product spec sheets, you will have much quicker and accurate product offerings in whatever field you participate.

What about you? Have you ever noticed a section of a datasheet that you think is important that we missed here? If so, please let us know in the comments!