The enable input provides a precise 1.18-V reference threshold to allow direct logic drive or connection to a voltage divider from a higher enable voltage such as V_IN. The enable input also incorporates 90 mV (typical) of hysteresis resulting in a falling threshold of 1.09 V. The maximum recommended voltage into the EN pin is 6.5 V. For applications where the midpoint of the enable divider exceeds 6.5 V, a small Zener diode can be added to limit this voltage.

The function of the R_ENT and R_ENB divider shown in the Section 7.2 is to allow the designer to choose an input voltage below which the circuit will be disabled. This implements the feature of programmable undervoltage lockout. This is often used in battery-powered systems to prevent deep discharge of the system battery. It is also useful in system designs for sequencing of output rails or to prevent early turnon of the supply as the main input voltage rail rises at power up. Applying the enable divider to the main input rail is often done in the case of higher input voltage systems such as 24-V AC/DC systems where a lower boundary of operation should be established. In the case of sequencing supplies, the divider is connected to a rail that becomes active earlier in the power-up cycle than the LMZ14201H output rail. The two resistors should be chosen based on the following ratio:

The EN pin is internally pulled up to VIN and can be left floating for always-on operation. However, it is good practice to use the enable divider and turn on the regulator when V_IN is close to reaching its nominal value. This will ensure smooth start-up and will prevent overloading the input supply.