45 years ago in the LM340 regulator days it was conventional to always put a 1N400x in series with the regulator input.? The problem of shorted regulators passing full voltage through them was well known and accounted for with the series diode.? Somehow we seem to have forgotten that knowledge over the intervening 40+ years.? Doing this means that you have to account for the additional 0.65 volts of diode voltage drop, but it is a small price to pay for the added security. ? The datasheet also shows the shorted-input protection diode across the regulator device (Fig. 15) and a protection diode across the output (Fig. 26). Arv K7HKL _._ On Sun, Jun 11, 2017 at 11:08 AM, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io <jgaffke@...> wrote: My curiosity overcame me.? Pulled the LM7805 from my Raduino (so I was sure I was working with the same manufacturer that hfsigs uses) and verified proper operation with 12v in, saw 5v out.? Reversed the 12v leads into the LM7805, put on the safety goggles, and powered up.? Was powering from a 2.5 amp 12v supply. ? The reversed LM7805 was sucking enough current to pull down my 12v switcher to -5v going into the LM7805, saw -2v going out of the LM805.? Could well be more than -2v going out if I had used a beefier 12v supply.? Regardless, -2v is sufficient to damage some parts behind the LM7805.? After a few seconds the LM7805 got hot enough to vent and stink up the room. |