Protect Current-Sense Amplifiers From

Negative Overvoltage
Electronic Design
Arpit Mehta
Thu, 2009-10-08 (All day)
A high-side current-sense amplifier typically amplifies the differential voltage across a sense resistor
and provides an output voltage proportional to the current in that resistor. The amplifier rejects the
common-mode voltage on which the sense-voltage rides. Such devices, therefore, can be used to
detect overcurrent faults in a load or to make system power-management tradeoffs.
Most high-side current-sense amplifiers are well suited for situations in which the common-mode
voltage ranges from ~2 V above ground to more than 30 V. Some industrial and automotive
applications, however, require protection for the amplifier against reversed-battery connections. Also,
for some loads, the amplifier needs protection against inductive kickbacks and other negativevoltage
transients.
If the common-mode voltage goes negative (below ground) during these events, excessive current
flow through the internal ESD diodes can damage the sense amplifier. For example, in a
representative high-side current-sense amplifier (MAX4080), a negative voltage much below ground
at RS+ or RS- will draw a large current by turning on one of the internal ESD diodes, D1 or D2 (Fig.
1).

One method of protecting the current-sense amplifier is to connect external series diodes from the
sense resistor to the RS+ and RS- pins. During normal operating conditions, though, any mismatch in
the forward-voltage drops of these diodes can seriously degrade the current-sense amplifiers
precision input characteristics (VOS = 0.6 mV max).

A better solution is to connect PMOS transistors in the RS+ and RS- paths as shown. The PMOS
switches are ON in the presence of positive common-mode voltages, allowing the IC to operate
normally. When the common-mode voltage goes negative, the FETs instantly turn OFF. This
essentially inserts a reverse diode between the sense resistor and input pins, preventing the internal
ESD diodes from turning ON.
The PMOS switches have very low on resistance: typically much less than an ohm. Because
MAX4080 bias currents are also low (12 A max), this on resistance causes only a negligible voltage
drop in its path, and therefore it has a negligible effect on the ICs input offset voltage.
The waveforms of Figure 2

illustrate how the protection circuit works, using the MAX4080s gain-of-20 version. A differential
test signal applied between RS+ and RS-, consisting of a 100-mV p-p sine wave riding on a 200-mV
dc offset, rides on a common-mode voltage that varies between -20 V and +20 V. When the input
common mode is 4.5 V or higher, the output is 4 V dc (200 mV 20) with a 2-V p-p sine wave riding
on it, as expected for normal operation.
When the input common-mode voltage becomes -20 V (goes below ground), the PMOS switches turn
OFF to protect the part, and the output sits at 0 V. When the common mode recovers (i.e., above 4.5
V), the IC again behaves normally. This scheme works equally well for reversed-battery protection,
even if VCC = 0, as is often the case when one imposes a reverse-battery condition.