ESD protection devices for high-speed interfaces in automotive applications

Nexperia has launched a new range of ESD protection devices intended specifically at protecting the ever-increasing amount of high-speed interfaces encountered in automotive applications, particularly the in-vehicle networks associated with infotainment and vehicle communications.

As data rates increase and vehicles feature more electric content, the demand for EMC protection becomes more crucial and offering the correct type of protection is a challenge for design engineers. The company's TrEOS technology optimises the three pillars of ESD protection (Signal Integrity, System Protection and Robustness) to provide devices with the perfect combination of low capacitance, low clamping voltage and high ESD robustness.

The new PESD4USBx series includes a total of 12 high-performance four-channel ESD protection devices that include TrEOS technology. Signal integrity is assured by the very low line capacitance for each channel (as low as 0.25pF) and the sub-0.05pF line matching capacitance. All devices provide deep snapback combined with a low resistance of 0.4Ohm. With ESD protection up to ±15kV, the series meets IEC61000-4-2 level 4 and ISO10605.

Specifically engineered for automotive applications, the devices exceed the demands of AEC-Q101 by a factor of two. Moreover, in the company's state-of-the-art DFN2510D packages (SOT1165D and SOT1176D), side-wettable flanks are offered as standard, enabling the use of AOI, thereby enhancing assembly quality for customers.

Commenting on the product launch, Lukas Droemer, Nexperia product manager, said: “The electronic content is growing rapidly throughout the vehicle and, coupling this with the need for high data rates, interfaces commonly found in high-end A/V applications are becoming prevalent. With the heavy electrical content, vehicles are electrically noisy environments, and these sensitive interfaces need high-performance ESD protection. Our new PESD4USBx series combines strong TrEOS performance with automotive-grade quality specifically for demanding automotive multimedia applications.”