An integrated circuit (IC), comprising: a converter comprising: one or more core devices; and one or more output internal nodes, each internal node coupled to one of the one or more core devices; protection circuitry comprising: one or more isolation switches, each of the one or more isolation switches coupled between a respective one of the one or more internal output nodes and a respective output external pin of the IC, wherein the protection circuitry configured to: monitor a characteristic at each respective external output pin of the IC; and if the characteristic is outside an operating specification of the one or more core devices, open one or more of the one or more isolation switches to isolate one or more of the one or more core devices from the respective external pin of the IC.