Safe Operating Area - Limits of The Safe Operating Area

Limits of The Safe Operating Area

Where both current and voltage are plotted on logarithmic scales, the borders of the SOA are straight lines:

  1. IC = ICmax — current limit
  2. VCE = VCEmax — voltage limit
  3. IC VCE = Pmax — dissipation limit, thermal breakdown
  4. IC VCEα = const — this is the limit given by the second breakdown (bipolar junction transistors only)

SOA specifications are useful to the design engineer working on power circuits such as amplifiers and power supplies as they allow quick assessment of the limits of device performance, the design of appropriate protection circuitry, or selection of a more capable device. SOA curves are also important in the design of foldback circuits.

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