Word of the Day
5 March 2026
latch-up
A kind of short circuit caused by the inadvertent creation of a low-impedance path between the power supply rails of a MOSFET circuit.
Why this one
The name is the diagnosis: a parasitic thyristor inside the CMOS structure turns on and stays on, so removing the trigger does not clear it. Only cutting supply power does, and if current is unlimited the die often does not survive.
In use
Board was drawing four amps and getting hot with no clock running, classic latch-up, and it cleared the second we dropped the rail.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.