An apparatus comprising: a field effect transistor, FET, having a floating gate and having a target operating voltage above which the FET would be overcharged and around which the FET has a nominal operating range; pulse circuitry to apply electric energy to the floating gate in pulses to periodically toggle the FET from an off-state to an on-state, in operation the applied energy in a pulse being low relative to that required to reach the gate's target operating voltage, and then being changed by adjusting successive pulses until the gate reaches the target operating voltage; and a feedback circuit to sample a voltage level of, and to enable the pulse circuitry to apply pulsed energy to, the floating gate to control the FET via the floating gate for directing operation of the FET based on the target operating voltage in the nominal operating range; wherein the pulse circuitry is configured and arranged with the feedback circuit to mitigate overcharging of the floating gate by: applying iterative energy pulses after applying an initial energy pulse to the floating gate, each iterative energy pulse having an energy level that is higher than the preceding energy pulse, until the floating gate reaches the target operating voltage; and in response to the sampled voltage level of the floating gate exceeding the target operating voltage after application of a preceding energy pulse, applying a succeeding energy pulse having an energy level that is lower than the energy level of the preceding pulse. a field effect transistor, FET, having a floating gate and having a target operating voltage above which the FET would be overcharged and around which the FET has a nominal operating range; pulse circuitry to apply electric energy to the floating gate in pulses to periodically toggle the FET from an off-state to an on-state, in operation the applied energy in a pulse being low relative to that required to reach the gate's target operating voltage, and then being changed by adjusting successive pulses until the gate reaches the target operating voltage; and a feedback circuit to sample a voltage level of, and to enable the pulse circuitry to apply pulsed energy to, the floating gate to control the FET via the floating gate for directing operation of the FET based on the target operating voltage in the nominal operating range; wherein the pulse circuitry is configured and arranged with the feedback circuit to mitigate overcharging of the floating gate by: applying iterative energy pulses after applying an initial energy pulse to the floating gate, each iterative energy pulse having an energy level that is higher than the preceding energy pulse, until the floating gate reaches the target operating voltage; and in response to the sampled voltage level of the floating gate exceeding the target operating voltage after application of a preceding energy pulse, applying a succeeding energy pulse having an energy level that is lower than the energy level of the preceding pulse. applying iterative energy pulses after applying an initial energy pulse to the floating gate, each iterative energy pulse having an energy level that is higher than the preceding energy pulse, until the floating gate reaches the target operating voltage; and in response to the sampled voltage level of the floating gate exceeding the target operating voltage after application of a preceding energy pulse, applying a succeeding energy pulse having an energy level that is lower than the energy level of the preceding pulse. <EOS>