A practical guide to interpreting power MOSFET datasheets correctly, covering the legal status of datasheet claims, the four categories of information (marketing summary, absolute maximum ratings, specifications, and characterization graphs), and which specs actually matter. Key takeaways include: only min/max specifications are reliable guarantees; typical values and characterization graphs are informational only; VGS must meet the RDS(on) spec conditions to ensure proper switch operation; gate charge specs are more useful than capacitance specs for gate driver design; and the SOA graph is critical for fault condition analysis. Thermal impedance and junction temperature management are also explained in detail.
