New Industry Products

TVS Diode Arrays offer 60 Percent Lower Clamping Voltages

July 20, 2014 by Jeff Shepard

Littelfuse, Inc. has introduced the SPHV (unidirectional) and SPHV-C (bidirectional) Series 200W Discrete TVS Diode Arrays (SPA® Diodes), that are designed to protect sensitive equipment from damage due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) and other overvoltage transients far better than earlier technologies. The SPHV and SPHV-C Series can safely absorb repetitive ESD strikes above the maximum level of the IEC61000-4-2 international standard without performance degradation and can safely dissipate up to 8A of induced surge current with very low clamping voltages.

With their SOD882 packages, they are well-suited for replacing 0402-sized multilayer varistors (MLVs) in applications such as automotive electronics, LED lighting modules, portable instrumentation, general purpose I/O, mobile and handheld devices, CAN and LIN busses, RS‑232/RS‑485, and other various low-speed I/Os. They are also excellent solutions for designers who need to “sprinkle” ESD and/or surge protection devices around their printed circuit boards.

“Because they are constructed with silicon diodes, the SPHV and SPHV-C Series TVS Diode Arrays offer 2-3X higher ESD protection than devices made using alternative materials that have an inherent wear-out factor. This allows for more robust product implementations in environments where the threat of ESD is daily and equipment needs to withstand hundreds, if not thousands of ESD strikes over its lifetime,” said Chad Marak, director of the TVS Diode Arrays product line. “Their low dynamic resistance provides up to 60 percent lower clamping voltages than alternative technology devices, making them ideal for protecting modern electronics populated with small-geometry ICs.”

The SPA SPHV and SPHV-C Series TVS Diode Arrays offer these key benefits: ESD protection up to ±30kV (contact discharge) and surge protection up to 8A (tP=8/20µs), helping equipment manufacturers comply with and exceed industry standards, and extending equipment life and system uptime. Low dynamic resistance provides up to 60 percent lower clamping voltages than alternative technologies, making them ideal for protecting modern electronics filled with small-geometry ICs.

These devices are made with silicon diodes capable of handling multiple (>1000) ESD strikes or surge transients without performance degradation compared to previous technologies that have an inherent wear-out factor. And they are AEC-Q101 qualified products are ready for use in automotive electronics, ensuring maximum reliability. The SPHV and SPHV-C Series TVS Diode Arrays is available in quantities of 10,000 in tape and reel packaging.