Zener diodes (https://blog.adafruit.com/2013/07/17/your-moment-of-zener/) really are amazing little devices, useful for a dozen different circuits. (https://www.evilmadscientist.com/2012/basics-introduction-to-zener-diodes/)
We like to use a Zener clamp (https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/chapter%208.pdf) as a basic method of protecting analog inputs on some of our dev boards so you can plug 5V in by accident and nothing bad will happen to the chip GPIO.
They're available in just about every voltage setting - let's check out some tips on using Zeners, (https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/HBD854-D.PDF) what to watch out for when specifying them and all the different packages available at DigiKey. Also, we'll check out DigiKey's new branding, released this week! https://www.digikey.com/short/q0nb98jq
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