This must be a case of a tech writer generating a product description after talking about the part to an engineer.
The part in question is a TI switching regulator module. When you go to the PTH08080W product page, the second sentence you find is: The PTH08080W sources output current at a much higher efficiency than a TO-220 linear regulator IC, thereby eliminating the need for a heat sink.
This is like saying the car we’re selling is much faster than a flat-bar hybrid bicycle, thereby eliminating the need to carry a water bottle.
It’s bizarre that they compare their switcher’s efficiency to a linear regulator, which is the least efficient way to step down voltage. The whole reason to use a step-down switcher is to avoid this inefficiency, so of course their part is more efficient. It goes on to say this eliminates the need for a heatsink, which is sometimes true, although whether you need a heatsink on a linear regulator depends on how much power your dissipating in it.
My guess is TI figures most people go to the page to scan the specs and get the datasheet, so it doesn’t matter if the description makes sense.
You know what this really about? This info is for the salesperson. It allows him or her to give it to the purchasing department and give them a feature to sell.
Yes, exactly. It’s kind of absurd. This switcher has higher efficiency than a linear regulator. I can’t imagine someone using a switcher in some application where Vin is close to Vout and a linear provides almost as good efficiency as a switcher.
TI seems to have a reputation for this kind of silliness. Like so many of their old databooks, where every few pages, the next part has “Dependable TI Quality & Reliability” in its bullet list, made extra funny by the fact that their parts were anything but at the time.