SLAA689B December   2015  – August 2021 CC430F6125 , CC430F6126 , CC430F6127 , CC430F6135 , CC430F6137 , CC430F6147 , MSP430AFE221 , MSP430AFE222 , MSP430AFE223 , MSP430AFE231 , MSP430AFE232 , MSP430AFE233 , MSP430AFE251 , MSP430AFE252 , MSP430AFE253 , MSP430BT5190 , MSP430F1101 , MSP430F1101A , MSP430F1111A , MSP430F112 , MSP430F1121 , MSP430F1121A , MSP430F1122 , MSP430F1132 , MSP430F122 , MSP430F1222 , MSP430F123 , MSP430F1232 , MSP430F133 , MSP430F135 , MSP430F147 , MSP430F1471 , MSP430F148 , MSP430F1481 , MSP430F149 , MSP430F1491 , MSP430F155 , MSP430F156 , MSP430F157 , MSP430F1610 , MSP430F1611 , MSP430F1612 , MSP430F167 , MSP430F168 , MSP430F169 , MSP430F2001 , MSP430F2002 , MSP430F2003 , MSP430F2011 , MSP430F2012 , MSP430F2013 , MSP430F2013-EP , MSP430F2101 , MSP430F2111 , MSP430F2112 , MSP430F2121 , MSP430F2122 , MSP430F2131 , MSP430F2132 , MSP430F2232 , MSP430F2234 , MSP430F2252 , MSP430F2254 , MSP430F2272 , MSP430F2274 , MSP430F233 , MSP430F2330 , MSP430F235 , MSP430F2350 , MSP430F2370 , MSP430F2410 , MSP430F2416 , MSP430F2417 , MSP430F2418 , MSP430F2419 , MSP430F247 , MSP430F2471 , MSP430F248 , MSP430F2481 , MSP430F249 , MSP430F2491 , MSP430F2616 , MSP430F2617 , MSP430F2618 , MSP430F2619 , MSP430F412 , MSP430F413 , MSP430F4132 , MSP430F415 , MSP430F4152 , MSP430F417 , MSP430F423 , MSP430F423A , MSP430F425 , MSP430F4250 , MSP430F425A , MSP430F4260 , MSP430F427 , MSP430F4270 , MSP430F427A , MSP430F435 , MSP430F4351 , MSP430F436 , MSP430F4361 , MSP430F437 , MSP430F4371 , MSP430F438 , MSP430F439 , MSP430F447 , MSP430F448 , MSP430F4481 , MSP430F449 , MSP430F4491 , MSP430F4616 , MSP430F46161 , MSP430F4617 , MSP430F46171 , MSP430F4618 , MSP430F46181 , MSP430F4619 , MSP430F46191 , MSP430F47126 , MSP430F47127 , MSP430F47163 , MSP430F47166 , MSP430F47167 , MSP430F47173 , MSP430F47176 , MSP430F47177 , MSP430F47183 , MSP430F47186 , MSP430F47187 , MSP430F47193 , MSP430F47196 , MSP430F47197 , MSP430F477 , MSP430F478 , MSP430F4783 , MSP430F4784 , MSP430F479 , MSP430F4793 , MSP430F4794 , MSP430F5212 , MSP430F5214 , MSP430F5217 , MSP430F5219 , MSP430F5222 , MSP430F5224 , MSP430F5229 , MSP430F5232 , MSP430F5234 , MSP430F5237 , MSP430F5239 , MSP430F5242 , MSP430F5244 , MSP430F5247 , MSP430F5249 , MSP430F5252 , MSP430F5253 , MSP430F5254 , MSP430F5255 , MSP430F5256 , MSP430F5257 , MSP430F5258 , MSP430F5259 , MSP430F5304 , MSP430F5308 , MSP430F5309 , MSP430F5310 , MSP430F5324 , MSP430F5325 , MSP430F5326 , MSP430F5327 , MSP430F5328 , MSP430F5329 , MSP430F5333 , MSP430F5335 , MSP430F5336 , MSP430F5338 , MSP430F5340 , MSP430F5341 , MSP430F5342 , MSP430F5358 , MSP430F5359 , MSP430F5418 , MSP430F5418A , MSP430F5419 , MSP430F5419A , MSP430F5435 , MSP430F5435A , MSP430F5436 , MSP430F5436A , MSP430F5437 , MSP430F5437A , MSP430F5438 , MSP430F5438A , MSP430F5500 , MSP430F5501 , MSP430F5502 , MSP430F5503 , MSP430F5504 , MSP430F5505 , MSP430F5506 , MSP430F5507 , MSP430F5508 , MSP430F5509 , MSP430F5510 , MSP430F5513 , MSP430F5514 , MSP430F5515 , MSP430F5517 , MSP430F5519 , MSP430F5521 , MSP430F5522 , MSP430F5524 , MSP430F5525 , MSP430F5526 , MSP430F5527 , MSP430F5528 , MSP430F5529 , MSP430F5630 , MSP430F5631 , MSP430F5632 , MSP430F5633 , MSP430F5634 , MSP430F5635 , MSP430F5636 , MSP430F5637 , MSP430F5638 , MSP430F5658 , MSP430F5659 , MSP430F6433 , MSP430F6435 , MSP430F6436 , MSP430F6438 , MSP430F6458 , MSP430F6459 , MSP430F6630 , MSP430F6631 , MSP430F6632 , MSP430F6633 , MSP430F6634 , MSP430F6635 , MSP430F6636 , MSP430F6637 , MSP430F6638 , MSP430F6658 , MSP430F6659 , MSP430F6720 , MSP430F6720A , MSP430F6721 , MSP430F6721A , MSP430F6723 , MSP430F6723A , MSP430F6724 , MSP430F6724A , MSP430F6725 , MSP430F6725A , MSP430F6726 , MSP430F6726A , MSP430F6730 , MSP430F6730A , MSP430F6731 , MSP430F6731A , MSP430F6733 , MSP430F6733A , MSP430F6734 , MSP430F6734A , MSP430F6735 , MSP430F6735A , MSP430F6736 , MSP430F6736A , MSP430F6745 , MSP430F67451 , MSP430F67451A , MSP430F6746 , MSP430F67461 , MSP430F67461A , MSP430F6747 , MSP430F67471 , MSP430F67471A , MSP430F6748 , MSP430F67481 , MSP430F67481A , MSP430F6749 , MSP430F67491 , MSP430F67491A , MSP430F67621 , MSP430F67621A , MSP430F67641 , MSP430F67641A , MSP430F6765 , MSP430F67651 , MSP430F67651A , MSP430F6766 , MSP430F67661 , MSP430F67661A , MSP430F6767 , MSP430F67671 , MSP430F67671A , MSP430F6768 , MSP430F67681 , MSP430F67681A , MSP430F6768A , MSP430F6769 , MSP430F67691 , MSP430F67691A , MSP430F6769A , MSP430F6775 , MSP430F67751 , MSP430F67751A , MSP430F6776 , MSP430F67761 , MSP430F67761A , MSP430F6776A , MSP430F6777 , MSP430F67771 , MSP430F67771A , MSP430F6777A , MSP430F6778 , MSP430F67781 , MSP430F67781A , MSP430F6778A , MSP430F6779 , MSP430F67791 , MSP430F67791A , MSP430FE423 , MSP430FE4232 , MSP430FE423A , MSP430FE4242 , MSP430FE425 , MSP430FE4252 , MSP430FE425A , MSP430FE427 , MSP430FE4272 , MSP430FE427A , MSP430FG4250 , MSP430FG4260 , MSP430FG4270 , MSP430FG437 , MSP430FG438 , MSP430FG439 , MSP430FG4616 , MSP430FG4617 , MSP430FG4618 , MSP430FG4619 , MSP430FG477 , MSP430FG478 , MSP430FG479 , MSP430FG6425 , MSP430FG6426 , MSP430FG6625 , MSP430FG6626 , MSP430FR2032 , MSP430FR2033 , MSP430FR2110 , MSP430FR2111 , MSP430FR2311 , MSP430FR2433 , MSP430FR2532 , MSP430FR2533 , MSP430FR2632 , MSP430FR2633 , MSP430FR4131 , MSP430FR4132 , MSP430FR4133 , MSP430FR5720 , MSP430FR5721 , MSP430FR5722 , MSP430FR5723 , MSP430FR5724 , MSP430FR5725 , MSP430FR5726 , MSP430FR5727 , MSP430FR5728 , MSP430FR5729 , MSP430FR5730 , MSP430FR5731 , MSP430FR5732 , MSP430FR5733 , MSP430FR5734 , MSP430FR5735 , MSP430FR5736 , MSP430FR5737 , MSP430FR5738 , MSP430FR5739 , MSP430FR5847 , MSP430FR58471 , MSP430FR5848 , MSP430FR5849 , MSP430FR5857 , MSP430FR5858 , MSP430FR5859 , MSP430FR5867 , MSP430FR58671 , MSP430FR5868 , MSP430FR5869 , MSP430FR5870 , MSP430FR5872 , MSP430FR58721 , MSP430FR5887 , MSP430FR5888 , MSP430FR5889 , MSP430FR58891 , MSP430FR5922 , MSP430FR59221 , MSP430FR5947 , MSP430FR59471 , MSP430FR5948 , MSP430FR5949 , MSP430FR5957 , MSP430FR5958 , MSP430FR5959 , MSP430FR5967 , MSP430FR5968 , MSP430FR5969 , MSP430FR5969-SP , MSP430FR59691 , MSP430FR5970 , MSP430FR5972 , MSP430FR59721 , MSP430FR5986 , MSP430FR5987 , MSP430FR5988 , MSP430FR5989 , MSP430FR5989-EP , MSP430FR59891 , MSP430FR5994 , MSP430FR6820 , MSP430FR6822 , MSP430FR68221 , MSP430FR6870 , MSP430FR6872 , MSP430FR68721 , MSP430FR6877 , MSP430FR6879 , MSP430FR68791 , MSP430FR6887 , MSP430FR6888 , MSP430FR6889 , MSP430FR68891 , MSP430FR6920 , MSP430FR6922 , MSP430FR69221 , MSP430FR6927 , MSP430FR69271 , MSP430FR6928 , MSP430FR6970 , MSP430FR6972 , MSP430FR69721 , MSP430FR6977 , MSP430FR6979 , MSP430FR69791 , MSP430FR6987 , MSP430FR6988 , MSP430FR6989 , MSP430FR69891 , MSP430FW423 , MSP430FW425 , MSP430FW427 , MSP430FW428 , MSP430FW429 , MSP430G2001 , MSP430G2101 , MSP430G2102 , MSP430G2111 , MSP430G2112 , MSP430G2121 , MSP430G2131 , MSP430G2132 , MSP430G2152 , MSP430G2153 , MSP430G2201 , MSP430G2202 , MSP430G2203 , MSP430G2210 , MSP430G2211 , MSP430G2212 , MSP430G2213 , MSP430G2221 , MSP430G2230 , MSP430G2231 , MSP430G2232 , MSP430G2233 , MSP430G2252 , MSP430G2253 , MSP430G2302 , MSP430G2303 , MSP430G2312 , MSP430G2313 , MSP430G2332 , MSP430G2333 , MSP430G2352 , MSP430G2353 , MSP430G2402 , MSP430G2403 , MSP430G2412 , MSP430G2413 , MSP430G2432 , MSP430G2433 , MSP430G2444 , MSP430G2452 , MSP430G2453 , MSP430G2513 , MSP430G2533 , MSP430G2544 , MSP430G2553 , MSP430G2744 , MSP430G2755 , MSP430G2855 , MSP430G2955 , MSP430L092 , MSP430TCH5E , MSP430V294

 

  1.   Trademarks
  2. 1Important Side Effects of the ESD Diodes During Power Cycling
  3. 2Introduction and Clarification of the Specification
  4. 3Considerations During Application Design
    1. 3.1 Consideration of the Correct Supply Circuit
      1. 3.1.1 Power Supplies With Good Current-Sinking Capability
      2. 3.1.2 Power Supplies With Limited Current-Sinking Capability
      3. 3.1.3 Bidirectional Power Supplies
    2. 3.2 Alternative Solutions
      1. 3.2.1 Zener Diodes
      2. 3.2.2 Shunt Regulators
  5. 4Clarification on ESD Diode Current and I/O Output Drive Capability
  6. 5Conclusion
  7. 6References
  8.   Revision History

3 Considerations During Application Design

When considering the ESD diode current specification of the device data sheet during the development of an application, first analyze if signals connected to the GPIO pins can exceed the actual supply. One example would be the output of analog sensors, which might go above the MSP MCU supply for a longer period of time (several milliseconds). In such a case, the maximum voltage levels that can be seen by the MSP MCU must be defined or evaluated, and a current-protection mechanism must be developed. This protection mechanism is important to prevent permanent damage on the ESD structure of the MSP microcontroller caused by high current beyond the allowed level. This protection also prevents the secondary effect of increasing the supply voltage due to energy introduced through the ESD diodes.

In most cases, the current limitation can be implemented as a simple series resistance that is sized based on the maximum expected current. However, in some cases, this might not be enough to fulfill all aspects of a reliable working application. Even if the current limitation specification of the ESD diodes is met, the supply of the MSP microcontroller might be disturbed. This is because the ESD structures draw the current to the supply rail of the MSP MCU, which boosts the supply as long as current is flowing. If the supply connected to the MSP MCU cannot sink current, the maximum DVCC specification of the MSP MCU might be violated over time. This high supply voltage can cause permanent damage that can lead to malfunction of the device or high current consumption. The high supply voltage can also cause wear-out effects that lead to functional and parametric failures over time.

The principle of supply voltage increase can be explained using a principle I/O schematic (see Figure 3-1). The external serial resistors R1 and R2 limit the current that flows through the ESD diodes D1 and D2 when an overvoltage is applied. Protecting the CMOS devices against this kind of overvoltage is the essential function of the internal ESD diode. Assuming that the rating for the continuous current through the diode of ±2 mA is considered, no physical damage occurs. At the same time, the current of ±2 mA maximum flows to the supply potential through the ESD diodes and raises the potential by providing "extra" current. If this "extra" current is larger than the current that is consumed by a load connected to the supply, the voltage increases. If more than one GPIO adds current to the supply, the sum of "extra" currents added to the VCC potential flowing through all protection diodes must be considered. Figure 3-1 shows this case, when two GPIOs experience overvoltage at the same time. If the sum of currents exceeds the maximum current consumption of the whole system connected to VCC, additional protection mechanisms must be considered. The whole system is defined by the supply architecture itself which can have current sink capability but also by the microcontroller and connected loads to the microcontroller. If the microcontroller is running in active mode and driving some LEDs, it is probable that the energy provided by the ESD diodes during overvoltage condition will be consumed. However, if the microcontroller is in low-power mode and consuming only a few nanoamperes, the supply voltage will increase due to the extra current from the ESD diodes.

GUID-936B8C30-7A0D-4800-ACFD-B42FF31A4E26-low.png Figure 3-1 Principle Schematic of an I/O in overvoltage condition

A similar principle applies if a voltage lower than VSS is applied to a GPIO; however, current would flow through D2 and D4. This condition can cause an adverse effect on the device ground, depending on the capabilities of the supply.

To remove this adverse effect on the supply's voltage and ground, TI recommends consideration of the best choice of the regulator to fit the application requirements. In addition to form factor, performance parameters, cost, and power consumption, the impact on the whole system must also be considered. Section 3.1 describes the advantages and disadvantages of regulator circuits with good current sinking capabilities, and also lists alternative solutions to prevent the supply increase effect.

A similar effect to the overvoltage condition appears if the device is powered down and no voltage is applied to VCC. In this case, a voltage greater than 0.3 V can result in backward supply through the ESD diodes. Section 1 provides more details on this scenario.

WARNING:

In battery-supplied applications, the supply voltage boosting effect due to overvoltage on I/O pins can cause the battery to explode or burn.