=20 > And unless I'm missing something... a zener/TVS tied to > ground/vdd will clamp at its rated voltage, and a couple of > volts or less below zero What is your acceptable -ve voltage ? You mentioned Schottkeys, with the lower Vf @ 1A vs the TVS, higher Vf @ 50A. My admittedly limited experience is with small ESD devices like the DALC208SC6 for data line protection www.st.com/stonline/books/pdf/docs/6477.pdf They are recommended by the manufacturer of the modem modules I use, and examples are given in the d/s of using them to protect interfaces which may have exposure to discharges --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .