SNOAA35D April 2023 – December 2023 LM2901 , LM2901B , LM2901B-Q1 , LM2903 , LM2903-Q1 , LM2903B , LM2903B-Q1 , LM339 , LM339-N , LM393 , LM393-N , LM393B , LM397 , TL331 , TL331-Q1 , TL331B
The NPN output transistor has rudimentary self-current limiting. The current limiting protects the device from immediate damage. Device overheating can occur during prolonged shorts to VCC, especially when the VCC voltage is higher than 5 V. Note that power dissipation in the Comparator is ((VCC – VOUT) × IOUT). The current limit magnitude decreases as die temperature increases.
The Comparator has no over-temperature shutdown circuitry. Therefore, excessive power dispassion can lead to very high die temperature. The data sheet absolute maximum ratings table warns that shorts to VCC , for even very short periods, can lead to excessive heat dissipation and eventual destruction. Note that the power dissipation for each channel must be included in the total device dissipation calculation.