Patent ID: 7283343

Claim:
A reverse battery protection circuit coupled between a first and second power supply rail, the reverse battery protection circuit having a first, a second and a third output node, wherein an external switching device couples between the first output node and the third output node and wherein the external switching device is biased by the second output node, and wherein a load couples between the third output node and the second power supply rail comprising: a push-pull gate drive circuit coupled between the first and second power supply rail; a protection subcircuit portion coupled between the first output node and the second power supply rail, the protection subcircuit portion comprises, a first resistor coupled between the first output node and a first node, a first diode coupled between the first node and a second node, a first p-channel device coupled between the second output node and the second node, wherein first p-channel device is biased by the first node, a second diode coupled between the second node and ground; and a clamping circuit coupled between the second output node and the third output node.