Q: TPS54160 EN input protection by 606719

In automotive applications the nominal 12Vin can droop to about 5V during crank-up and as high as 60V for limited periods of time.

Setting the EN voltage to keep the IC working at 5V input will yield a high EN voltage value during the 60V input voltage pulse, well above the max specified 5V

Since the EN pull-up resistor is usually set at a relatively high value - hundreds of kOhms - short of having an external low current zener clamp, is there any 'zener' current clamping capability provided by the IC and if so what is the current limit?

 

Thank you


A: Re: TPS54160 EN input protection by 10449

You can not rely on the TPS54160 EN pin to clamp current.  The customer must keep the voltage at the EN pin less than the datasheet's specified abs max value of 5V.