We have designed the TX7316 into a multibeam sonar system. The system has two 8-channel transducers, of which only one is operated at a time. We are using the T/R switch to multiplex from the 16 pulser channels down to 8 receiver channels with RX_An shorted to RX_Bn. In support of this, we are setting the TR_SW_DIS_Bx register bits high when pulsing/receiving on the A channels and setting the TR_SW_DIS_Ax register bits high when pulsing/receiving on the B channels. We are using off-chip beamforming.
Periodically, we are having TX7316 chips "pop", even when they are not loaded by a transducer. In some instances, this was due to inadvertently specifying too high of a duty cycle (too low of receive time between pulser activations). However, after building in failsafes to prevent this, we are still seeing chips pop.
Other than driving a shorted output or driving at too high of a duty cycle, are there any other misuse cases we should be looking for that can damage the TX7316? In the high duty cycle case, shouldn't the thermal protection protect the chip?
