Re: Pic's pins current limited?

Are the microchip pic's pins current limit? Specifically for the pic24F

>family. I have all the IO pins going to offboard connectors and I'm >wondering what would happen if the connectors were accidently shorted(say a >wire fell on them). I believe the pic's have thermal protection so it's a >matter of simply saving the individual pins. I can add in some series >resistance to limit the current in this application but wondering if they >are needed? (it's not prefered though because some of these pins are going >to be for general use)

Yes, the current is limited (depending on the individual device, the operating voltage, and the temperature). The output devices are just MOSFETs, and they have a sort of constant-current characteristic when shorted.

No, you cannot depend on this limit to remain within the "absolute maximum" data sheet limits. Those numbers describe what YOU must guarantee with YOUR circuit in order to avoid possibly damaging the chip (they are NOT recommended values- they are "not to exceed" values).

There is no "thermal protection" in a PIC.

OTOH, a brief short of a single I/O pin to some voltage between 0V and Vdd is extremely unlikely to damage a PIC, and for a hobby type application you should worry more about ESD and such like.

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany
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