Matt , Russell & others. Thanks for taking the time & trouble to answer so completely. I also did a hunt on the web for suitable items but it's easy to miss a particularly useful part wen you're looking at specs on one page & prices (web prices) on another. So I thought a quick query to the list may help me find something I'd otherwise miss. In the initial design we'll probably go without an external reset chip but may provide for one "just in case". FWIW I have decided to get quotes for the National LP2980APM5-33 with the Texas TPS76033 as a second source for the regs. We are currently using a 800mA device at about $US0.40 each so if I can't get a significant reduction on this the I won't bother to change as the hassle of supporting 2 part types is significant. However at ~10k/year there is an incentive to findsomething cheaper. Also the Fairchild FAN2519 looks promising as it may be able to double as the reset chip as well - but the pinout is different. There is a Texas chip that may perform both functions also and again the pinout may vary - I have still to check - There is also a MAXIM chip that provides a delayed reset - but no second source and probably hard to ensure a reliable supply! Also it costs about $US1.00. Quiescent current is not of concern, the product will run in telephone exchanges with maybe several kA-hr of backup battery! - and when it's off it's becaude there is no supply! Noise & accuracy is not of too much concern either - no analogues to worry about or picky PLL requirements to meet. The source supply is a fairy stable 4.5V line from a switcher so the LDO requirement is actually a bit of an exaggeration. Unfortunately I don't think the 4.5V is stable enough to wind down to 3.3V and run without a regulator. Might try it later on though. But I need more than 4V for the backlight but the display is 3.3V max.so would have to provide a separate backlight supply......... Fair comment re the tantalums however - that is something to consider.. Thanks again Richard On 11/05/07, Matt Pobursky wrote: > On Fri, 11 May 2007 10:53:17 +1200, Richard Prosser wrote: > > Hi All, > > I'm looking for suggestions for a reset chip to be used with an M16C62 > > running off 3.3V. > > > > Main requirements are:- readily available, small & cheap. No bells or > > whistles required. > > > > Also a LDO 3V3 linear reg for about 40mA current drain. Input Voltage is > > about 4.5V. Again - small cheap & available. > > This is kind of a loaded (or unloaded, depending how you look at it) > question. > > This sounds a lot like a very low power battery operated system. That's > about all I've been designing the past 2 or 3 years so I've gone through > this exercise a lot. Performance, cost and size is really a "system" > specification as much or probably more than a "chip level" specification. > > You don't really mention anything about performance, i.e. dropout voltage > required, Iq, noise, etc. Those requirements will lead you to a lot of > difference potential devices and eliminate many others. > > Cost is a relative thing too -- for instance a lot of LDO regulators need a > tantalum or other low esr filter capacitor and often will specify a range > of filter cap esr over which they'll be stable. Others will allow ceramic > chip caps to be used, which can save a lot of cost right there and possibly > size too. Iq specifications can range all over the place for different > devices under all different kinds of conditions -- it may matter in your > application or it may not. > > That said, I've found TI's supervisors and LDOs to be some of the best > available (I'll include Burr-Brown with them since TI owns them now). > Really excellent performance across a lot of different requirements with > reasonable chip cost, low system cost and excellent performance. Good > availability too. > > Microhip's parts have tended to be low cost, available, but mediocre > performance. Some of their supervisor chips are quite good. I recently used > the MCP12x family but it has an odd pinout as compared to most of the other > SOT-23 supervisors out there. I'm not a big fan of their LDOs, they're OK > but middle of the road performance-wise. They do make some nice low voltage > CMOS op-amps with good performance. > > Maxim is, well, Maxim. Good parts, high cost, made of unobtanium. > > National doesn't have many high performance parts (really low Iq, Vdropout, > etc.) but they tend to be really cheap and usually available. If > performance isn't your top requirement but low cost is then they may have > some parts that suit. > > On-Semi... somewhere in the spectrum between TI and National. Usually very > cost effective, performance is better than average. Sometimes availability > is a problem though. If you can get them at Digikey you are usually fine. > > Linear Technology makes really good stuff, but kind of pricey. Usually > decent availability but sometimes also made of unobtanium. > > Analog Devices... excellent parts, cost is much better than it used to be > and availability is getting better too. I always look at them before I'm > done searching for new low voltage analog parts. > > Those are the major suppliers I'd look at. I'm sure I forgot some off the > top of my head. TI is almost always where I start first as they have an > excellent parametric search facility on their site, their parts are almost > always a good value and Digikey is a stocking distributor for them. TI has > an excellent sampling program and samples are shipped direct from Digikey > (usually overnight or 2nd day). > > Probably not what you wanted to hear but the questions you asked always > remind me of someone asking "What kind of car should I buy?"... ;-) > > OK... I'll take a flyer and answer your main questions: I'd look at the > Microchip MCP120/121 family of supervisors. Cheap and really low Iq. SOT-23 > package. > > For the LDO I'd look at the TI TPS715xx family. SC70-5 package, can use a > very small ceramic output cap. Very low Iq and low dropout voltage. If you > need an LDO with an enable function, the TPS793xx family is good too. TI > has a lot of great LDOs in small packages. > > Matt Pobursky > Maximum Performance Systems > > > > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist