The LT3080 is the first of a family of next-generation NPN LDOs that may easily be paralleled for heat spreading and are adjustable down to 0V out with a single resistor. This new architecture regulator uses a current-based reference rather than a conventional voltage reference to allow sharing between multiple regulators by directly paralleling the pins. Current sharing is set with a small length of PC trace as ballast, enabling multi-amp linear regulation in all surface-mount systems without heat sinks.