TVS diode arrays with high surge tolerance help protect DC powerlines

Littelfuse offers a series of TVS Diode Arrays (SPA Diodes) optimized to protect DC powerlines for PoweredUSB interfaces from damaging ESDs. The SP11xx Series TVS diode arrays employ Zener diodes fabricated in a proprietary silicon avalanche technology to protect each I/O pin in the interface. These robust devices offer high surge tolerance, with the highest surge density per square millimeter of any that the company offers, with extremely low dynamic resistance across all of the relevant voltage levels for PoweredUSB interfaces. They can safely absorb repetitive ESD strikes at ±30kV without performance degradation and safely dissipate 80A of 8/20µs surge current with very low clamping voltages. The devices are designed to prevent premature failure or thermal issues related to fast-charging batteries, such as those used in tablets and smartphones, by limiting exposure to the fast transients associated with plugging into AC/DC converters that could introduce dirty power to the battery. They are also useful for protecting Vbus lines for USB 3.1 type C interfaces, which are increasingly common in handheld devices. “The SP11xx Series combines high surge tolerance for a higher level of ESD protection and extremely low dynamic resistance for faster response,” said Tim Micun, business development manager for TVS Diode Arrays at Littelfuse. “They offer designers the flexibility to choose what is most important for their application, whether that’s size, cost, or performance.”