Patent ID: 8665571

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an integrated circuit comprising: a first pad disposed on a surface of the integrated circuit; a second pad disposed on the surface of the integrated circuit; a third pad disposed on the surface of the integrated circuit; and a protection circuit disposed within the integrated circuit, wherein the protection circuit comprises a first protection subcircuit electrically coupled between the first pad and a first node of the integrated circuit, a second protection subcircuit electrically coupled between the second pad and the first node, and a third protection subcircuit electrically coupled between the first node and the third pad; wherein the first node is not directly associated with the first pad, the second pad, or the third pad, and wherein the first protection subcircuit comprises a first silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having an anode electrically connected to the first pad and a cathode electrically connected to the first node, and a second SCR having an anode electrically connected to the third pad and a cathode electrically connected to the first pad, wherein the second protection subcircuit comprises a third SCR having an anode electrically connected to the second pad and a cathode electrically connected to the first node, and a fourth SCR having an anode electrically connected to the third pad and a cathode electrically connected to the second pad, wherein in response to a first type of transient electrical event that increases a voltage of the first pad relative to a voltage of the second pad, the protection circuit is configured to provide a low impedance path from the first pad to the second pad through the first SCR, the third protection subcircuit, and the fourth SCR, wherein in response to a second type of transient electrical event that increases the voltage of the second pad relative to the voltage of the first pad, the protection circuit is configured to provide a low impedance path from the second pad to the first pad through the third SCR, the third protection subcircuit, and the second SCR.