Bipolar transistors

Diodes

ESD protection, TVS, filtering and signal conditioning

MOSFETs

SiC MOSFETs

GaN FETs

IGBTs

Analog & Logic ICs

Automotive qualified products (AEC-Q100/Q101)

Input power (reverse polarity) protection

Input power protection is essential in automotive and battery-powered systems to prevent damage from accidental polarity reversal. Designers can implement this using discrete semiconductor solutions such as series diodes, Schottky rectifiers, MOSFET-based high-side or low-side switches, and ideal-diode configurations. Each approach offers different trade-offs in cost, efficiency, voltage drop, thermal performance and current capability, enabling optimized protection across a wide range of applications.

  • Block diagram
  • Design considerations
  • Product listing
  • Support

Block diagram

Efusecontroller Gate signal aaa-043408 Vbat+ Load Vbat- Recovery / Schottky rectifier Vbat+ Load Vbat- N-channel MOSFET Chargepump Vbat+ Load Vbat- Safety switch Vbat+ Load Load Load Vbat- Vbat+ Vbat- Vbat+ Vbat- P-channel MOSFET N-channel MOSFET with efuse conroller Ideal diode Highlighted components are Nexperia focus products.

Recovery / Schottky rectifier

P-channel MOSFET

MOSFET gate protection

N-channel MOSFET

TVS diode

Safety switch

Ideal diode

Select a component

To view more information about the Nexperia components used in this application, please select a component above or click on a component (highlighted in blue) in the block diagram.

Design considerations

  • Series diodes (PN or Schottky): Simple, low cost adn requires minimal design effort, but offers reduced efficiency at higher currents and suffers from forward voltage drop and power loss
  • P-channel MOSFET (high-side): Low voltage drop, simple gate drive and good efficiency, but higher RDS(on) than N-channel devices and limited high-current performance
  • N-channel MOSFET (high-side or low-side): Very low RDS(on), high current capability and high efficiency, but requires gate drive or charge pump and typically has increased circuit complexity
  • Ideal diode (MOSFET-based): Minimal voltage drop, fast reverse-current blocking and best thermal performance but incread BoM costs and design complexity