The OPA817 is built using a very high-speed complementary bipolar process. The internal junction breakdown voltages are relatively low for these very small geometry devices. These breakdowns are reflected in the Absolute Maximum Ratings. As Figure 8-3 shows, all device pins are protected with internal ESD protection diodes to the power supplies.

The diodes provide moderate protection to input overdrive voltages beyond the supplies as well. The protection diodes can typically support a 10-mA continuous current. Where higher currents are possible (for example, in systems with ±12-V supply parts driving into the OPA817), current limiting series resistors should be added in series with the two inputs to limit the current. Keep these resistor values as low as possible because high values degrade both noise performance and frequency response. There are no back-to-back ESD diodes between V_IN+ and V_IN–. As a result, the differential input voltage between V_IN+ and V_IN– is entirely absorbed by the V_GS of the input JFET differential pair and must not exceed the voltage ratings shown in the Absolute Maximum Ratings.