An apparatus for providing protection from transient electrical events (14, 16), the apparatus comprising: an integrated circuit;a pad on a surface of the integrated circuit; a protection circuit disposed on a p-type substrate of the integrated circuit, wherein the protection circuit is electrically connected to the pad, and wherein the protection circuit comprises a plurality of subcircuits (72, 74, 76) arranged in series, and wherein the plurality of subcircuits are configured such that selection of one or more of the plurality of the subcircuits for operation determines at least one of a holding voltage or a trigger voltage of the protection circuit; and a pad controller configured to select one or more of the plurality of subcircuits for activation to achieve a desired holding voltage and/or a desired trigger voltage for the protection circuit, wherein each of the plurality of sub-circuits comprises: a p-well configured to operate as a base region; an n-type emitter region disposed in the p-well; an n-type collector region disposed in the p-well and spaced away from the n-type emitter region; a conductive plate positioned adjacent the p-well and between the n-type emitter region and the n-type collector region; a diode electrically connected between a node and the n-type collector region; and a resistor electrically connected between the conductive plate and the n-type emitter region; and wherein the n-type emitter region, the p-well, and the n-type collector region are configured to operate as an NPN bipolar transistor, wherein the n-type collector region is electrically connected to a first end of the subcircuit and the n-type emitter region is electrically connected to a second end of the subcircuit; and wherein the plurality of subcircuits comprises one or more subcircuits of a first type and one or more subcircuits of a second type different than the first type, and wherein each subcircuit of the second type comprises a PNP bipolar transistor having an emitter, a base and a collector, wherein the emitter of the PNP bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the first end of the subcircuit, and wherein the base of the PNP bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the n-type collector region of the NPN bipolar transistor, and wherein the collector of the PNP bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the base region of the NPN bipolar transistor. an integrated circuit;a pad on a surface of the integrated circuit; a protection circuit disposed on a p-type substrate of the integrated circuit, wherein the protection circuit is electrically connected to the pad, and wherein the protection circuit comprises a plurality of subcircuits (72, 74, 76) arranged in series, and wherein the plurality of subcircuits are configured such that selection of one or more of the plurality of the subcircuits for operation determines at least one of a holding voltage or a trigger voltage of the protection circuit; and a pad controller configured to select one or more of the plurality of subcircuits for activation to achieve a desired holding voltage and/or a desired trigger voltage for the protection circuit, wherein each of the plurality of sub-circuits comprises: a p-well configured to operate as a base region; an n-type emitter region disposed in the p-well; an n-type collector region disposed in the p-well and spaced away from the n-type emitter region; a conductive plate positioned adjacent the p-well and between the n-type emitter region and the n-type collector region; a diode electrically connected between a node and the n-type collector region; and a resistor electrically connected between the conductive plate and the n-type emitter region; a p-well configured to operate as a base region; an n-type emitter region disposed in the p-well; an n-type collector region disposed in the p-well and spaced away from the n-type emitter region; a conductive plate positioned adjacent the p-well and between the n-type emitter region and the n-type collector region; a diode electrically connected between a node and the n-type collector region; and a resistor electrically connected between the conductive plate and the n-type emitter region; and wherein the n-type emitter region, the p-well, and the n-type collector region are configured to operate as an NPN bipolar transistor, wherein the n-type collector region is electrically connected to a first end of the subcircuit and the n-type emitter region is electrically connected to a second end of the subcircuit; and wherein the plurality of subcircuits comprises one or more subcircuits of a first type and one or more subcircuits of a second type different than the first type, and wherein each subcircuit of the second type comprises a PNP bipolar transistor having an emitter, a base and a collector, wherein the emitter of the PNP bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the first end of the subcircuit, and wherein the base of the PNP bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the n-type collector region of the NPN bipolar transistor, and wherein the collector of the PNP bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the base region of the NPN bipolar transistor.