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J M Noeding wrote: Another trick I've seen is to use a hefty power MOSFET (one with a low Rds[on]), with the source and drain leads reversed, in series with the power. Depending on the voltages involved, you can either connect the gate directly to the opposite side of the power supply, or (if the supply voltage may exceed the Vgs limit) to a high-Z resistive divider. Nice one Dave indeed, if you could tell me about a MOSFET without protexion diode That's why I mentioned hooking it up with the source and drain leads in the reverse of the usual orientation. In the normal hookup situation, the intrinsic/substrate/protection diode would prevent the circuit from working as one would want (as you clearly understand). However, by hooking up the MOSFET "backwards" (e.g. an NMOSFET with the drain on the negative side), the orientation of the intrinsic diode is reversed. It'll be forward-biased when the power supply is hooked up the way you want it, and would be conductive. It probably won't have a chance to conduct, though, since you'll be biasing the gate up several volts above either the source or drain pins, turning on the MOSFET, and the relatively low Rds[on] of the MOSFET will keep the voltage drop across the MOSFET down below the substrate diode's voltage drop. If the supply connections are reversed, the MOSFET itself will be biased off, and the intrinsic protection diode will be reverse-biased and will not conduct. It's an odd trick. Many (most?) JFETs have a highly symmetrical internal construction - the distinction between source and drain is a matter of convention rather than construction. A typical MOSFET's construction is not entirely symmetrical... but, according to the description I've read of this trick in Pease's book, it _is_ symmetrical enough to allow it to be used with source and drain reversed, in this particular application. By flipping 'em around, you make the intrinsic diode work for you rather than against you. -- Dave Platt AE6EO Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads! |