LM2903-Q1: Input voltage rating

That depends on your definition of "normally". Section 2.5 of the Application Design Guidelines for LM339, LM393, TL331 Family Comparators says:

[…] While this is a nice feature, it does come at a cost. When operating outside the specified input voltage limits, performance deteriorates and will no longer meet the data sheet specifications. Critical specifications such as offset voltage, bias current and propagation delay will be adversely affected. TI still recommends to stay within the data sheet input voltage range specifications.

Hi Scarlett,

the very simplest remedy is to use a voltage divider at the input.

Kai

Hi Scarlett,

Both Clemens and Kai have given great inputs. You can use this feature but it is still operating outside the recommended input voltage range, so we cannot warranty the behavior. It is just expected behavior. Dividing down the input to meet the input voltage range is a good suggestion as Kai mentioned.