The TL103Wx family features an internal shunt reference, tied to the non-inverting pin of one of the devices amplifiers. When supplied with enough voltage headroom (≥ 2.5V) and cathode current (0.5mA typical), the reference of the TL103Wx is forced to a fixed 2.5V. To not exceed the maximum cathode current, be sure that the reference input is current limited. Unlike many linear regulators, the reference of the TL103W is internally compensated to be stable without an output capacitor between the cathode and anode. If the reference is used to supply a load, stability criteria shown in Figure 5-22 needs to be met.

Reference voltage tolerance varies based off the device grade chosen. At 25°C the TL103W features a reference tolerance of 0.72%, while the TL103WA/TL103WB both feature reference tolerances of 0.44%.