Protection circuit and method therefor

1. An over-voltage protection circuit for a linear voltage regulator comprising:

a pass transistor operably coupled to receive an input voltage and regulate an output voltage to substantially a desired value, the pass transistor having a first current carrying electrode coupled to receive the input voltage, a second current carrying electrode coupled to provide a first voltage that is used to form the output voltage, and a control electrode;

a plurality of diodes coupled in series between the second current carrying electrode of the pass transistor and an output of the over-voltage protection circuit;

a first transistor coupled in parallel with the plurality of diodes, the first transistor having a first current carrying electrode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the pass transistor, a second current carrying electrode coupled to the output of the over-voltage protection circuit, and a control electrode; and

a third transistor having a control electrode coupled to receive a sense signal that is representative of a voltage at the second current carrying electrode of the pass transistor and a first current carrying electrode coupled to provide a control signal that causes the first transistor to be disabled responsively to the first voltage increasing to a first value that is greater than the desired value and to cause the first transistor to be enabled responsively to the first voltage decreasing to less than the first value.

2. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 1 further including a zener diode having a cathode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the pass transistor and an anode coupled to a voltage return of the over-voltage protection circuit wherein the zener diode has a zener voltage that is greater than the first value.

3. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 1 further including an error amplifier having an output coupled to the control electrode of the pass transistor and operable coupled to form a control signal cause the pass transistor to regulate the output voltage to substantially the desired value.

4. A voltage regulator having an over-voltage protection circuit comprising:

a series pass element coupled to receive an input voltage and form a first voltage that is used to provide an output voltage at an output of the over-voltage protection circuit, the series pass element including a first transistor having a first current carrying electrode coupled to receive the input voltage, a second current carrying electrode coupled to provide the first voltage, and a control electrode;

at least one voltage reducing element coupled in series between the second current carrying electrode of the series pass element and the output; and

a threshold detector having first and second outputs coupled in parallel with the voltage reducing element wherein the threshold detector includes a second transistor having a first current carrying electrode coupled to the first output and a second current carrying electrode coupled to the second output, the threshold detector configured to receive a sense voltage that is representative of the first voltage and form a current flow path around the voltage reducing element responsively to the first voltage being less than a first value and to not form the current flow path around the voltage reducing element responsively to the first voltage being greater than the first value.

5. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 4 further including a clamp circuit coupled to receive the first voltage and clamp the first voltage to a second value that is greater than the first value.

6. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 5 wherein the clamp circuit includes a zener diode.

7. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 4 wherein the at least one voltage reducing element includes a plurality of series connected diodes.

8. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 4 wherein the threshold detector includes a third transistor coupled to receive the first voltage and cause the second transistor to be enabled and disabled responsively to the first value of the first voltage, the third transistor having a first current carrying electrode, a second current carrying electrode, and a control electrode.

9. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 8 wherein the threshold detector further includes a fourth transistor coupled to receive an output of the third transistor and enable and disable the second transistor responsively to the output of the third transistor.

10. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 8 wherein the control electrode of the third transistor is coupled to receive the sense voltage, the first current carrying electrode is coupled to receive the first voltage, and the second current carrying electrode is coupled to a voltage return of the over-voltage protection circuit.

11. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 10 wherein the threshold detector further includes a fourth transistor having a control electrode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the third transistor, a first current carrying electrode coupled to the first output of the threshold detector, and a second currying electrode coupled to the second output of the threshold detector.

12. The over-voltage protection circuit of claim 4 wherein the series pass element is configured to remain enabled responsively to the threshold detector not forming the current flow path around the voltage reducing element.

13. A method of forming an over-voltage protection circuit comprising:

configuring a pass element to receive an input voltage and regulate a first voltage substantially to a desired voltage;

coupling a voltage reducing element in series between the pass element and an output of the over-voltage protection circuit; and

configuring a threshold detector to detect the first voltage increasing to a first value that is greater than the desired value and responsively reduce the first value without disabling the pass element including configuring the threshold detector to form a current flow path around the voltage reducing element responsively to the first voltage being less than the first value and to substantially terminate the current flow path around the voltage reducing element responsively to the first voltage being greater than the first value.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein configuring the pass element to receive the input voltage and regulate the first voltage includes coupling a first transistor to receive the input voltage and form the first voltage, and coupling an error amplifier to receive a feedback voltage that is representative of the first voltage and responsively form a linear control signal to linearly control the first transistor and regulate the first voltage.

15. A method of forming an over-voltage protection circuit comprising:

configuring a pass element to receive an input voltage and regulate a first voltage substantially to a first value;

coupling a voltage reducing element in series between the pass element and an output of the over-voltage protection circuit;

configuring a threshold detector to detect the first voltage having a second value that is less than the first value and responsively form an output voltage that is less than the first value without disabling the pass element including coupling a first transistor in parallel with the voltage reducing element, and operably configuring the threshold detector to enable the first transistor to form a current flow path around the voltage reducing element and to disable the first transistor to substantially terminate the current flow path.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein coupling the first transistor in parallel with the voltage reducing element includes coupling the first transistor in parallel with a plurality of diodes and further including operably coupling a second transistor to receive a sense signal that is representative of the first voltage and responsively control enabling and disabling the second transistor.

17. The method of claim 15 further including coupling a clamp circuit to detect the first voltage increasing to a third value that is greater than the first value and responsively clamp the first voltage to a value that is no less than the third value.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein coupling the clamp circuit to detect the first voltage includes coupling a zener diode.