Patent ID: 8841971

Claim:
One or more circuits that provide short circuit protection for a power amplifier, comprising: a sense network that receives an output current from the power amplifier that is to be protected, the sense network including a first resistor and a second resistor, the first resistor being in electrical series with the second resistor; a sense amplifier that has a first input and a second input, the first input being operatively coupled to a first end of the first resistor, the second input being operatively coupled to a second end of the first resistor, the sense amplifier amplifying a voltage across the first resistor of the sense network, the voltage being amplified by the sense amplifier is based on the output current from the power amplifier; and a feedback network that, based on the amplified voltage of the sense amplifier, reduces the output current from the power amplifier to protect the power amplifier from damage due to a short circuit condition; wherein the feedback network is configured to sink and to source current into a level shifter of the power amplifier to overcome a common-mode feedback response of the power amplifier in the short circuit condition.