Like many IC power regulators, the TPS73801-SEP has safe operating area protection. The safe area protection decreases the current limit as input-to-output voltage increases and keeps the power transistor inside a safe operating region for all values of input-to-output voltage. The protection is designed to provide some output current at all values of input-to-output voltage up to the device breakdown.

When power is first turned on, as the input voltage rises, the output follows the input, allowing the regulator to start up into very heavy loads. During start up, as the input voltage is rising, the input-to-output voltage differential is small, allowing the regulator to supply large output currents. With a high input voltage, a problem can occur wherein removal of an output short does not allow the output voltage to recover. Other regulators also exhibit this phenomenon, so it is not unique to the TPS73801-SEP.

The problem occurs with a heavy output load when the input voltage is high and the output voltage is low. Common situations occur immediately after the removal of a short circuit or when the shutdown pin is pulled high after the input voltage has already been turned on. The load line for such a load may intersect the output current curve at two points. If this happens, there are two stable output operating points for the regulator. With this double intersection, the input power supply may need to be cycled down to zero and brought up again to make the output recover.