New Industry Products

Bel Fuse Portfolio of PPTC Resettable Fuses Now Includes 5 Surface-Mountable Series

November 04, 2009 by Jeff Shepard

Bel Fuse Inc. announced the expansion of their 0ZCx Series of surface mountable Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient (PPTC) resettable fuses. Bel says the RoHS-compliant, lead-free and halogen-free Series features its unique polymer formulation to ensure long-life performance and superior overcurrent protection in the broadest range of consumer electronics.

Offered in five EIA/IECQ case sizes ranging from 0805 to 2920, the chip fuses are rated up to 60Vdc with current ratings up to 3A. Chips are specifically engineered to limit the flow of dangerously high current during fault conditions to protect products and systems from overcurrent surges and overtemperature faults. In the event of a fault, fuses reset themselves once power is removed, the fault is corrected, and the voltage is reapplied. Bell states that their resettable functionality, coupled with unparalleled reliability, makes the 0ZCx Series a well suited alternative to traditional fuses and fusible links. Moreover, they facilitate the utmost in design flexibility and manufacturing efficiencies while enabling OEMs/ODMs to minimize repair, service, and warranty expenses. Materials meet UL-94V-0 requirements.

The 0ZCx Series is appropriate for use on high-density PC boards in a wide array of consumer electronics applications in which safety and reliability are critical factors. They are commonly specified for use in PDAs/digital cameras, MP3 players, video recorders, and set-top boxes. Parts are equally well suited for battery and port protection in mobile phones, port protection in game consoles, plug and play protection for PC motherboards and peripherals, USB peripherals, disk drives, and CD-ROMs.

Boasting a fast trip time and provided in an industry-standard 0805, 1206, 1210, 1812, or 2920 footprint, the 0ZCx Series feature hold current ratings from 50mA to 3A. PTC chips’ operating temperature range is -40 to +85°C.

Prices for the 0ZCx Series range from $0.08 to $0.20 each in production quantities, depending on case size, voltage and hold current ratings. While delivery is from stock to 8 weeks, samples are immediately available.