
User’s Manual G12702EJ8V0UM00
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5. PRECAUTIONS ON APPLICATION
Do not use a three-terminal regulator under temperature conditions or voltage conditions that exceed the ratings.
Other precautions that are specific to three-terminal regulators are shown below.
5.1 Shorting Input Pins and Ground Pins
When a capacitor with a large capacity is connected to the load of a three-terminal regulator, if the input pin is
shorted to GND or the power supply is turned OFF, the voltage of the capacitor connected to the output pin is applied
between the output and input pins of the three-terminal regulator.
Figure 5-1
(a)
(b)
VOUT
OUT
IN
GND
+
Discharge current
OUT
IN
GND
+
The withstand voltage between the output and input pins of a three-terminal regulator is approximately 0.7 V for a
low current with the output transistor base-emitter voltage.
Therefore, a diode like the one in Figure 5-1 (b) is effective against the reverse bias of the input and output pins.
Figure 5-1 (b) is for a positive voltage regulator. The diode direction is reversed for negative voltage.
5.2 Floating Ground Pins
Do not make the GND pin of a three-terminal regulator floating in the operating state. If it is made floating, an
input voltage that has not been stabilized is output unchanged. This is because the output stage power transistor is
biased by an overvoltage protection Zener or current mirror transistor leakage current. Since IC internal overheat
protection and the like do not operate normally in this case, there is a possibility of destruction if the load is short-
circuited or on an overload.
Be particularly careful when using a socket.