I'd like to run an ESP32 devkit in an automotive application using a small, plastic enclosure. I won't be using radios on the ESP, so its nominal current requirement is less than 100mA at 5V (typically closer to 50mA). Nonetheless, given that there is minimal air circulation inside the enclosure, I'm keeping an eye on heat dissipation.
With a nominal 14.4V supply, and 5V required to power the devkit, a linear regulator could easily dissipate 0.5W, and though I can't quantify the thermal characteristics of the enclosure, it feels like 0.5-0.7W may be a bit sketchy in a closed box on a hot day.
However, when I look at small-ish buck converter specs, (for example the LMR14010A
https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lmr14010a.pdf) I'm not seeing output current numbers under 100mA. When I plug my numbers into TIs nifty Webench interactive designer (
https://webench.ti.com/wb5/PartDesigner/quickview.jsp) it tells me it can't find any solutions.
So I'm wondering if a buck converter is just an inappropriate choice for this application and I should really go with a linear regulator (getting over my concerns about 0.5-0.7W getting everything too hot).
Any thoughts on a good solution, or my assumptions, are greatly appreciated!