Op Amp Short Protection to Positive Rail?

[2FaradsAreBig]

I am trying to select an op-amp for a design, and it needs to survive shorts to both positive and negative rails. When analyzing op amp datasheets, I'm noticing that pretty much all devices I've seen so far provide ratings for shorts to the negative rail (i.e. ground); they provide a max sourcing current.

Regarding shorts to positive rail (i.e. sinking current), I'm finding that they are hit and miss - some are very clear about the allowed sinking current, and some only include the sourcing current, and some don't specify whether the current is sinking or sourcing.

One part I was looking at was TL081; see the short current rating towards the bottom of p.4: https://www.st.com/web/en/resource/technical/document/datasheet/CD00000491.pdf

Can any op amp experts comment on these devices protecting themselves against shorts to the positive rail? Thanks a ton.

 

[FvM]

TL081 datasheet says:

The output may be shorted to ground or to either supply. Temperature and/or supply voltages must be
limited to ensure that the dissipation rating is not exceeded.

Similar to most general purpose OPs, there's no difference in TL081 short circuit specification between sourcing and sinking current. You confused the terms, by the way. Short to positive rail strains OP to sink current and vice versa.

 

[dick_freebird]

Yoo might figure it out by looking at schematics, if you
are dealing with a vendor who still publishes useful ones.

If it's well controlled then probably it will be well specified,
so there's that.

Back in the days of split supply op amps, either leg could
be assumed to have some short-to-ground potential that
had to be protected against and you'd see current sense
resistors and shunt devices at the output leg. Modern
single supply op amps often assume negative supply is
ground and short to positive supply, a remote probability
not worth explicit protection.