Self protected MOSFETs integrate a power MOSFET with a complete array of protection circuits that guard against over-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature conditions and ESD protection. When an intelligent MOSFET senses the presence of any one of these potentially catastrophic conditions, it protects both itself and the load connected to it, which improves overall system reliability. The addition of features such as status flags also helps improve overall system performance by providing a diagnostic capability that can aid the isolation and rectification of faults.