Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.

com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

Homepage About Us Contact Us

Food Energy Health Tech Living More…

By SCOTT | Published: JULY 13, 2012

Many circuits can benefit from

protection against accidental
Follow me...
reverse polarity.While most can be
protected by polarized connectors List
to the power source, many News & Views
hobbyist circuits and kits can be Alzheimer’s and Lyme Disease:
powered by jumper wires, thus Caused by Disruptions in Food Chain
eliminating this simple type of Flax Seeds for Breast Cancer &
polarity protection. In these cases, Health
a reverse polarity circuit would be Non-Slip Pervious Concrete
You Don't Need an Alarm to Protect Your Circuit!
a very useful addition to your Stepping Stone
DIY Powder Coating
circuit.
Neat low cost storage idea
In this guide, we will explore three simple methods for adding this protection to
your projects. This overview will only cover protection circuits on the high List
(positive) side of the circuit. Each of the protection methods can also be applied to Articles
the low (ground) side. The low side versions of these circuits offer the benefit of Tiny Houses
using NPN & N-channel devices instead of their PNP or P-channel equivalents, the Monitoring Tools for your
former which are often cheaper, more readily available and sometimes higher Website/Server
performance. However, low side circuits change the voltage level of the ground Windows is a Sinking Ship – Linux is
path which could cause issues for some circuits. the Lifeboat
Why You Should Switch to Linux
If you wish to study low side approaches, App Note AN636 from Maxim is a good Using ATtiny Chips for Arduino-Like
one to consult. I think for most circuits, the high side versions work very well and Projects
will prevent any possible problems with a low side approach. Therefore, we will Making Hay
only be covering the high side circuits. I just wanted to mention the low side in Can LED Lighting Cause Blindess?
No, Your Dishwasher is Not Broken
case your particular needs might require something different.
Making a Color Television Set
How to Get a Good Cheap 10 inch
Diode Android Tablet

The first circuit we’ll consider is the

ordinary rectifier diode. Simply using a Subscribe To Feeds
diode as shown is often a good All Articles
approach. Its advantages are simplicity All Comments

and low cost. It contains only one All Tech Articles

This Post's Comments
component costing only pennies.
---- Help! - What are Feeds? ----
One of the biggest disadvantages is a
Reverse Protection Using a Diode
substantial voltage drop. Since rectifier
diodes typically drop around 0.8 volts,
your resulting Vcc will be lower by 0.8 volts. That voltage could also vary
depending on the diode, the temperature, and the load.

Another factor to consider is the extra power consumption for circuits with high
current loads. Simply multiply the diode’s forward voltage (Vf) by the current you
expect to draw, and you can see how much extra power this diode will use. For
currents greater than 500mA, you will even need to use a larger power diode.

1 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

You can improve this circuit somewhat by using a Schottky diode instead of a
rectifier diode. It has a lower voltage drop – usually about 0.6 volts, but you can
get some that are even lower than that. There is one potential problem with using
Schottky’s though. They have more reverse current leakage, so they may not offer
sufficient protection. If you want to try a Schottky diode, you will need to examine
its leakage current and your circuit to see if it can handle it without damage.
Making such a determination is not very easy, and as we’ll see, there are much
better approaches. Therefore, I would shy away from using Schottky diodes in
most cases.

PNP Transistor
A greatly improved protection circuit to
a blocking diode can be provided by
using a pnp transistor as a high-side
switch as shown. The saturated voltage
drop across the transistor is much
lower than it is with diodes and the
part cost is still very modest.

In normal operation, the base is at a

lower voltage than the emitter so the
transistor turns on. When the circuit is
reversed, the transistor is reverse
biased and it effectively shuts down
the rest of the circuit.
Reverse Polarity Protection using a PNP
The limitations of this approach is the Transistor
fact that there is some power loss from
the base current, and that loss is constant regardless of the circuit’s current power
draw. In circuits where a very low quiescent current is typical, this approach could
greatly increase its level.

Also, like the diode circuit, there is still some voltage drop (maybe a couple of
tenths), and for higher power circuits the transistor will not be able to handle the
high current loads. For circuits which are usually active in their power usage and
that draw modest amounts of current, this simple type of protection is hard to
beat.

To choose the bias resistor, estimate your circuit’s maximum current and divide by
the transistor’s minimum gain. Provide a little margin, and calculate your resistor
accordingly. For example, if you expect a maximum current of 100mA for my
circuit, and the typical minimum hFE of your transistor is 50, then the base current
should be at least 2mA. Let’s use 4mA for the base current to provide some
margin. If the supply voltage is 5 volts, then the base bias resistor should be 5v /
4mA = 1.25k or something thereabouts.

P-Channel FET
For the ultimate in low voltage drop
and high current capability, replacing
the PNP transistor with a P-channel
MOSFET as shown in this circuit, can’t
be beat. Please note that the FET is
actually installed in the reverse
orientation as it would normally – the
drain and source are reversed. This
orientation is necessary so that the
slight leakage current through the
FET’s intrinsic body diode will bias the
FET on when the polarity is correct and
block current when reversed, thus
Reverse Polarity Protection Using a

2 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

shutting off the FET. Here is a real nice P-channel MOSFET

video tutorial of how the magic works.

If the supply voltage is less than the FETs maximum gate to source voltage (Vgs),
you only need the FET, without the diode or resistor. Just connect the gate directly
to ground. I have found that most smaller FETs maximum Vgs is 12 volts or less,
which can be a problem for 12 volt (or higher) supplies. If after checking your
FET’s spec sheet, you find that Vcc could exceed the maximum Vgs, then you must
drop the voltage between the gate and the source.

The circuit shown does exactly that by a very clever means. By inserting a zener
diode with a voltage less than the maximum Vgs, it limits the voltage to a safe
level between the gate and the source. You will need to calculate the resistor value
so that it will provide enough current to properly bias the zener diode chosen. The
zener diode’s spec sheet will provide the minimum current required to achieve the
zener breakdown voltage, and you can then calculate your resistor value from that.

Choosing the Best Circuit

Each of these circuits offer a different set of advantages and disadvantages. I have
listed them in order of increasing complexity and cost. In choosing what is best for
your circuit, examine what your voltage and power needs are. Then match it with
the simplest circuit that will suffice for those needs.

For example, if your circuit can handle the voltage drop from a diode, and your
circuit is low current, just use a blocking diode. Don’t think that just because the
FET circuit is the best in terms of performance, it is the best choice. That
performance also comes at with a greatly increased cost and complexity.

Good engineering tries to minimize both of those factors. Choose the approach
that meets your design requirements the best.

Please contribute your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Save

Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits by Provide Your Own is licensed under

a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This entry was posted in Tech and tagged circuits. Section: Article. Bookmark the
permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

« Secret Arduino Voltmeter – Measure Choosing PCB Layout Software »

Battery Voltage

33 Comments

Xavi
Posted November 2, 2012 at 12:15 pm | Permalink

I wanted to avoid the losses in the diode and the circuit with MOSFET it’s
perfect for it. Many thanks.
It has just one drawback: If your circuit is intended for voltages, let’s say
above 50V, and you need low Rdson (around 10 mOhm or less) it is relatively
difficult to find suitable P-channel MOSFETs and they are quite expensive.
A solution (I will try it next week) could be using an N-channel MOSFET instead
connecting it between load (Source) and GND (Drain) and gate to the positive
battery terminal.

Scott Daniels
Posted November 8, 2012 at 12:01 am | Permalink

3 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

Yes, that is an appropriate solution to your problem. I did not mention

the n-channel version since it raises ground above its normal reference
which can cause its own set of problems. Also, most circuits don’t face
such a high voltage – for those the P-channel FET is readily available and
inexpensive. You’ll still need the zener diode voltage regulation if your
maximum Vgs is less than your battery voltage.

William Dalton
Posted March 18, 2013 at 5:35 pm | Permalink

Is there anyone who markets a kit or a printed circuit board in order to use the
P Channel MOSFET in reverse polarity protection? I would like to use one on
several of my 12 v. transceivers but my skill in producing printed circuits is non
existent. I would like to protect my HW9 Heathkit and HW8 from the reality of
being fried by a reverse connection disaster.

Scott Daniels
Posted April 24, 2013 at 12:41 pm | Permalink

I am planning to put such a circuit on my next PCB order. I’ll add it to the
store when it is available.

Bill D. K4MH
Posted March 24, 2014 at 8:40 pm | Permalink

I’m planning to protect several QRP rigs with Mosfets. I like to

keep it tidy and small, no breadboards or such. A small board with
in power cube and out power with the MOSFET plug , perhaps the
Zener and resistor could be marketed in a kit or assembled . Put it
in a little plastic box with a male 2.1 mm power jack on one side
and a female on the other, it could be used as an external device.
No more smoked QRP rigs or other 12v devices. What would you
pay for this insurance? How about 150.00 to repair a Heathkit? I
would market it for 12 v , up to 3 amp protection if I were in the
business. There is very little investment and there is a demand. Let
me know if something develops. K4MH

Bill D. K4MH
Posted March 24, 2014 at 10:09 pm | Permalink

I’ve ordered some FQP47P06 P ch MOSFETS. VGS -250 micro

amps -2 min -4 v Max. VGS on 0.021 to 0.026 Amps You will
have about .01 watts dissipation . Compare this to 1 watt
with a Schottky or 2 watts with a diode. Do you want .5 to
1.8 v drop or almost nothing? Two watts on a 12 v battery is
a lot of dissipated power , not to mention the voltage drop,
which is the real issue on battery power. Con , at 3 dollars
it’s expensive but can’t compare to a hundred bucks or more
for repair of fried circuits. Some N ch MOSFETS are much
cheaper for reverse polarity protection but I only need two
or three. I’ll try the P ch MOSFET for now .

Owen Hann
Posted June 27, 2013 at 10:24 pm | Permalink

For low voltage circuits, such as gadgets operating from a single cell (1.5 or
even 1.2 volts), reverse polarity protection is a very tough nut to crack. You
need to suck every electron possible from the battery. A schottky wastes too
much power because of the voltage drop and the battery appears dead flat
long before it really is. Biasing a transistor wastes significant energy in the

4 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

base current – the resistor needs to be quite a low value to deal with a battery
going flat, hence it draws a lot more current than needed when the battery is
new. The FET idea is good, but I believe there is a problem with operating FETs
at very low voltages? Any insights?

John-Paul Gignac
Posted July 9, 2013 at 11:23 am | Permalink

You need a FET with a low gate-source threshold voltage (often

abbreviated Vgs(th)). Some can be as low as 0.4V. Anything below 1V is
probably suitable for your application.

smartmobi.info
Posted September 23, 2014 at 12:00 am | Permalink

Thanks for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts and I am waiting
for your next write ups thanks
once again.

Review my web-site – how To download a 3ds emulator (smartmobi.info)

what is zion in the

Posted October 12, 2014 at 1:44 pm | Permalink

They also add sunscreen and other protective elements to try and
create what consumers will think is a more. In the sixties and seventies Albert
Bandura and Walter Mischel were
psychologists, studying personality development.
Article Source: Saunders and her team of award winning designers help
authors
and small business owners design their books, build
their brand, launch their website and market their business.

henkel-partner.net
Posted November 25, 2014 at 2:21 pm | Permalink

What’s up, all is going perfectly here and ofcourse

every one is sharing facts, that’s actually good, keep up writing.

ifasjfiasjf asi
Posted December 5, 2014 at 11:17 am | Permalink

Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google,

and found that it’s truly informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels.
I will appreciate if you continue this in future.

A lot of people will be benefited from your writing.

Cheers!

Binghamton iPhone 4s Cases Primary Mark

Posted January 17, 2015 at 6:52 am | Permalink

Some genuinely quality blog posts on this web site , saved to my bookmarks .
Binghamton iPhone 4s Cases Primary Mark http://www.westgatelabs.co.uk
/shop/cases/Binghamton-iPhone-4s-Cases-Primary-Mark.html

coupon share
Posted February 9, 2015 at 7:12 am | Permalink

An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague

who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me lunch

5 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

due to the fact that I discovered it for him…

lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this subject here on your blog.

Steve Roberts
Posted June 3, 2015 at 6:44 pm | Permalink

Thanks for this explanation and lesson. Now I can save my Arduino’s lives for a
little longer.

Jim Pack
Posted April 14, 2017 at 8:38 am | Permalink

What would be a good mosfet for protecting a tp4056 board from putting an
18650 battery in backwards? I’ve burned up half a dozen boards from doing
this, (and these are the new boards with the internal protection built in – I
guess not).

Thanks,
Jim

falexandru
Posted March 11, 2018 at 1:01 am | Permalink

Great things are simple things.

Thank you for the article! Very useful!

thiet ke quan tra sua

Posted March 30, 2018 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

Remarkable! Its truly amazing article, I have got much clear idea regarding
from this article.

fun board games for adults

Posted April 5, 2018 at 1:48 pm | Permalink

Wohh precisely what I was looking for, regards for putting up.

Big Cornfields
Posted April 6, 2018 at 12:54 pm | Permalink

It sure took a lot of research to make an article like this.

Old Wine Lovers

Posted April 7, 2018 at 11:39 am | Permalink

I think these old wine lovers would enjoy your post.

Woman Smiling
Posted April 8, 2018 at 10:23 am | Permalink

Don’t go sniffing that too much!

One Hand Typing

Posted April 8, 2018 at 3:41 pm | Permalink

I’m not a big fan of sauce.

Old Technology

6 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

Posted April 10, 2018 at 5:56 am | Permalink

Don’t ever quit blogging!

Grocery Delivery
Posted April 12, 2018 at 7:36 am | Permalink

Don’t blink or you’ll miss something.

Blogger Listening to Music

Posted April 13, 2018 at 5:16 am | Permalink

Do you know someone named Fred?

Thank you for visiting

Posted April 13, 2018 at 2:27 pm | Permalink

Don’t forget the grilled onions!

Much Needed Vacation

Posted April 13, 2018 at 7:12 pm | Permalink

Way to go Edward. This blog is amazing!

Old People Getting Drunk

Posted April 13, 2018 at 11:52 pm | Permalink

No one can ever say this site is boring!

Messy People Eating Snacks

Posted April 15, 2018 at 7:23 am | Permalink

These two are some real messy eaters!

Too many cooks

Posted April 15, 2018 at 11:50 am | Permalink

These two better settle their score now before everything ends up burnt!

Can you hear me now

Posted April 18, 2018 at 8:45 am | Permalink

This guy has something very important to say!

Marylyn
Posted April 18, 2018 at 10:22 pm | Permalink

Great site

3 Trackbacks

By How To Calculate Reverse Bias Current | New How Tips on July 8, 2016 at 8:09 am
By Best Battery Chargers For 2017 | Top 10 Battery Chargers Reviewed on July 18, 2017
at 10:05 am
By essayforme on April 11, 2018 at 6:02 pm

About Us Contact Us Privacy Terms & Conditions

7 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM
Reverse Polarity Protection Circuits https://provideyourown.com/2012/reverse-polarity-protection-circuits/

The content of Provide Your Own is licensed under the . See Terms for more information. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech.
ProvideYourOwn is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended
as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. ProvideYourOwn assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to
these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This website is created and maintained by Purple Cow Solutions

8 of 8 10/27/2018, 5:33 AM