Andrew John Thoms wrote:
> Does this mean that I can power it from a 7.2v battery with no
> regulation as the chip can handle that voltage at its supply,
> or do I need to regulate to below 6v?

Regulate.

(a) 7.2 volt battery rarely is.  Measure it fresh, and you may find it
sitting at 1.6 x 5 = 8.0 volts, depending on the chemistry.

(b) the chip is warranted to handle up to 6v continuously, and
presumably up to 7.5v intermittently, presumably because of how it is
constructed, and how their tests came out.

Every limit can be broken, but for how long?  If it fails at 6v then you
have a case to seek compensation, but if it fails at 9v and isn't rated
for it, then you buy a new one yourself.

--
James Cameron                                      (cameron@stl.dec.com)

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