Applications Guide

TransGuard
®
APPLICATION NOTES
• IEC 61000-4 Requirements
• Turn On Time Characteristics
of AVX Multilayer Varistors
• The Impact of ESD on
Insulated Portable Equipment
• AVX TransGuard® Motor and
Relay Application Study
• AVX Multilayer Varistors in
Automobile MUX Bus Applications
125
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: IEC 61000-4 Requirements
WHAT IS IEC 61000-4?
WAVEFORM PARAMETERS
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has
written a series of specifications, IEC 61000-4, which mandate the performance of all electronic devices in a variety of
transient and incident RF conditions. This specification
requirement resulted as part of Europe’s move toward a single market structure and a desire to formalize and harmonize
current member countries’ requirements. As of January 1,
1996, all electronic and electrical items sold to Europe must
meet IEC 61000-4 series specifications.
WHY IS IEC 61000-4 REQUIRED BY
EUROPE?
The various regulatory agencies within Europe feel that the
IEC 61000-4 series of specifications is necessary to insure
acceptable performance of electronic equipment in a world
filled with increasingly more Electromagnetic Interference EMI. Furthermore, as electronic systems become more
portable, and the transient susceptibility of semiconductors
increases, government regulations are essential to maintain
a minimum level of performance in all equipment. Europe
is so serious about the problem that they require that equipment be certified via testing to meet IEC 61000-4 series
specifications after 1/1/96 to avoid fines and prosecution.
HOW DO COMPANIES SELLING
ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS MEET
IEC 61000-4 PARTS 2-5 SPECIFICATIONS?
Companies and design engineers must now use protective
circuits or devices to meet these requirements. First, a
description of IEC 61000-4/2-6 is in order:
IEC 61000-4-2 ESD TESTING
REQUIREMENTS
All equipment destined for Europe must be able to withstand 10 strikes of ESD waveforms with Tr < 1ns in contact
discharge mode (preferred) at pre-selected points accessible during normal usage or maintenance. Testing shall be
performed at one or more of four (4) severity levels, depending upon equipment category.
Level
1
2
3
4
Contact Discharge1
Mode Test Voltage
kV
2
4
6
8
61000-4-2 Test Conditions
Preferred mode of testing due to repeatability.
1
126
Air Discharge Mode
Test Voltage kV
2
4
8
15
Level
Test
Voltage
Level
kV
First Peak
of
Discharge
Current
Amps ±
10%
TR
nS
1
2
7.5
2
4
15
3
6
22.5
4
8
30
0.7
-1
0.7
-1
0.7
-1
0.7
-1
30 nS
Current
Amps ±
30%
60 nS
Current
Amps ±
30%
4
2
8
4
12
6
16
8
Upon completion of the test, the system must not experience upset (data or processing errors) or permanent damage. The waveforms are to be injected at or along the DUT’s
body which is accessible in normal set-up and operation.
IEC 61000-4-3 ELECTROMAGNETIC
COMPATIBILITY IMPACT TESTING (EMC)
This test is concerned with the susceptibility of equipment
when subjected to radio frequencies of 27 MHz to 500 MHz.
The system must be able to withstand three (3) incident
radiation levels:
Level 1 1V/m field strength
Level 2 3V/m field strength
Level 3 10V/m field strength
Level X User defined > 10V/m field strength
The system must not experience upset (data or processing
errors) or permanent errors.
IEC 61000-4-4 ELECTRICAL FAST
TRANSIENT (EFT) TESTING
The EFT test is modeled to simulate interference from
inductive loads, relay contacts and switching sources. It
consists of coupling EFT signals on I/O parts, keyboard
cables, communication lines and power source lines. The
system, depending upon appropriate severity level, must be
able to withstand repetition rates of 2.5 kHz to 5 kHz for ≥ 1
minute as follows:
Open Circuit Output Voltage/10%
On Power Supply
Level 1
0.5kV
Level 2
1kV
Level 3
2kV
Level 4
4kV
On I/O, Signal, Data, Control lines
0.25kV
0.5kV
1kV
2kV
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: IEC 61000-4 Requirements
IEC 61000-4-5 UNIDIRECTIONAL POWER
LINE SURGE TEST
The details of this specification for high energy disturbances
are being addressed in several drafts under discussion within the EC at this time.
SUMMARY
AVX TransGuards ® are exceptionally suited to meet the
defined portions of the IEC 61000-4 document.
Experimentation is critical to proper choice and selection of
devices to suppress 61000-4-3/4. Samples are available from
your local sales representative.
IEC 61000-4-6 CONDUCTED RF TEST
FROM 9kHz TO 80MHz
IEC 61000-4-2 ESD DEVICE TEST
25kV ESD STRIKES On VC080514C300
35
Voltage (v)
30
25
20
15
10
Vb
Pre Test
Vb
Post Test
Vc
Pre Test
Vc
Post Test
TransGuard® Parameters
25kV Direct Discharge, 25 hits
IEC 61000-4-2 ESD DEVICE TEST
25kV ESD STRIKES On VC080514C300
25
Leakage Current (A)
The details of this specification for conducted broad band
RF signals are being addressed in a first edition draft within
the EC at this time.
Designers have the option of using AVX TransGuards® to
meet IEC 61000-4-2, 3 and 4.
In the case of IEC 61000-4-2 TransGuards® can be used to
suppress the incoming Transient just like a Zener diode
would. TransGuards®, however, exhibit bipolar characteristics, a faster turn-on-time (<1nS), a better repetitive strike
capability and superior thermal stability to the Zener suppression device. Furthermore, TransGuards® are typically
smaller and lighter when placed on SMT circuit boards. See
Figure 1 for data illustrating IEC 61000-4-2 repetitive strike
capability.
The TransGuards® effective capacitance allows the device
to be used to meet IEC 61000-4-3 and 61000-4-4. The
device’s parallel capacitance can be used as effectively as a
capacitor to block low level incident and conducted RF
energy. If in the case of some levels of IEC 61000-4-3 and
IEC 61000-4-4 when the intensity of pulse is greater than
the device’s breakdown capability it will then turn on and
suppress via MOV means rather than capacitance (as in the
small signal case). Effectiveness hinges upon the proper
placement of the device within the PCB (which is usually
easily accomplished since TransGuards® are so small).
20
15
10
5
0
II
Pre Test
II
Post Test
25kV Direct Discharge, 25 hits
Figure 1
127
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Turn on Time Characteristics of
AVX Multilayer Varistors
INTRODUCTION
TEST PROCEDURE
Due to the growing importance of ESD immunity testing, as
required by the EMC Directive, proper selection of voltage
suppressor devices is critical. The proper selection is a
function of the performance of the device under transient
conditions. An ideal transient voltage suppressor would
reach its “clamping voltage” in zero time. Under the conditions imposed by the 1991 version of IEC 61000-4-2, the
actual turn-on-time must be less than one nanosecond to
properly respond to the fast leading edge of the waveform
defined in the standard.
It has been found during testing of transient suppressors
that the response time is very closely dictated by the packaging of the device. Inductance that is present in the connection between the silicon die and the leads of the device
creates an impedance in series with the suppressor device;
this impedance increases the overall device response time,
reducing the effectiveness of the suppressor device.
The purpose of this paper is to present the Turn on Time
characteristics of Multilayer Varistors (MLVs) and to compare the MLV Turn on Time to that of various silicon transient voltage suppressors (SiTVs).
The Turn on Time of a transient voltage suppressor (TVS) is
of growing importance since IEC 61000-4-2 now specifies
ESD waveform with a rise time < 1 ns. Therefore, TVS’s
must have a turn on time < 1 ns to effectively suppress
ESD. In many, if not all, ESD suppression applications, TVS
turn on time can be of more importance than absolute
clamping voltage (Vc) of the TVS (assuming that the TVS
clamping voltage is less than the damage voltage of the
circuit or IC).
To measure the turn on time of today’s TVS’s, a broad
cross section of MLVs and SiTVs were chosen. Only surface
mount devices were chosen in order to best represent
today’s TVS current usage/trends and to keep the test
matrix to a reasonable level of simplicity. The following
devices were tested:
The TVS device under test (DUT) was placed on a PCB test
fixture using SN60/40 solder. The test fixture (see Figure 1)
was designed to provide an input region for an 8kV contact
ESD discharge waveform (per IEC 61000-4-2 level 4
requirements). In addition, the fixture was designed to provide low impedance connections to the DUTs.
SMT MLV
0603
0805
1206
1210
128
SiTVS
MA141WA
BAV 99
SOT 23 type
SMB - 500W gull-wing SM device
SMC - 1500W gull-wing SM device
Figure 1. DUT Test Fixture
The ESD pulse was injected to the PCB from a Keytek minizap ESD simulator. Additionally, the fixture was to channel
the ESD event to a storage oscilloscope to monitor the
suppressor’s response. Six resistors were used on the PCB
to provide waveshaping and an attenuated voltage to the
storage scope (see Figure 2):
MINI-ZAP with CONTACT DISCHARGE TIP
"LAUNCH AREA"
R1
1.6k⍀
R2
1.6k⍀
R3
1.6k⍀
DEVICE
UNDER
TEST
R5
1k⍀
R4
1k⍀
R6
200⍀
Figure 2. Schematic of Test Set Up
TEK TDS
540 SCOPE
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Turn on Time Characteristics of
AVX Multilayer Varistors
The functions of the resistors are as follows: The resistor
values were adjusted in “open circuit” conditions to obtain
best open circuit response.
R1, R2 (1.6K) - provide wave shaping during the ESD
discharge event
R3 (1.6K), R4 (1K), R5 (1K) - Form a 60 dB Attenuator
(1000:1 ratio) for input of Tektronix TDS 540 1 giga
sample/second storage oscilloscope
R6 (200 Ω) - provides matching to the 50 ohm coax feeding
the TDS 540 oscilloscope.
The open circuit response of the ESD test fixture with a 9kV
ESD pulse is shown in Figure 3.
Task Stopped:
74 Acquisitions
TVS TURN ON TIME
Test results for SiTVs varied widely depending upon the
physical size and silicon die mounting configuration of the
device. The results agree with several SiTVs manufacturers
papers indicating that the absolute response from the silicon die could be < 1 ns. However, when the die is placed in
a package, the turn on time delay increases dramatically.
The reason for this is the series inductance of the SiTVs
packaging decreases the effective response time of the
device. Reports of 1-5 ns are frequently referred to in SiTVs
manufacturers publications. Further, the turn on times for
SiTVs vary dramatically from manufacturer to manufacturer
and also vary within a particular manufacturers lot. The data
provided in the following table generally agreed with these
findings:
Δ: 800ps
SiTVS
TURN ON SPEED
0.8ns
0.9ns to 1.2ns
0.8ns
1.5ns to 2.2ns
1.5ns to 3ns
O: -1.2ns
CASE SIZE
MA141WA
BAV 99
SOT 23 Type
SMB
SMC
CH1 Rise
800ps
SUMMARY
1.0
CH1
2.00 V
M 20.0ns CH1
2.20 V
Figure 3. Open Circuit Response of Test Fixture
to an Injected ESD Waveform
The graph shows the voltage attenuated by a factor
of 1000, with a 800ps risetime for the ESD waveform
(this agrees with typical data given by Keytek for equipment
performance). It should be noted that only the positive
polarity was tested. Prior testing showed turn on time was
not dependent upon waveform polarity (assuming that
DUTs are bidirectional).
This test confirms calculations that show that AVX
TransGuards® have a true sub-nanosecond turn on time.
Although the silicon die of a SiTVs has a sub-nanosecond
response, the packaged SiTVs typically has a response time
much slower than a TransGuard®. If the two devices were
directly compared on a single graph (see Figure 4), it could
be shown that the TransGuard® diverts significantly more
power than even the fastest SiTVs devices. Additionally,
TransGuards® have a multiple strike capability, high peak
inrush current, high thermal stability and an EMI/RFI
suppression capability which diodes do not have.
TEST RESULTS
TRANSGUARD® vs SILICON TVS TURN ON COMPARISON
ESD WAVEFORM SHAPE
100
The turn on time test results for AVX TransGuards® showed
that all case sizes were capable of a sub-nanosecond turn on
response. This corresponds favorably with the calculated turn
on time of less than 1 ns. Specific performance data follows:
CASE SIZE
0603
0805
1206
1210
AVX TransGuard®
TURN ON SPEED
< 0.7 ns
< 0.9 ns
< 0.9 ns
< 0.8 ns
TRANSGUARD®
TURN-ON TIME
(0.2 - 0.7 N SEC)
80
Ip (%)
MLV TURN ON TIME TRANSGUARDS
®
60
40
20
DIODE TURN-ON RANGE
(1.2 - 5.0 N SEC)
0
0.1
1
10
100
Time (ns)
IEC 801-2 ESD WAVE
Typical Data
Figure 4.
129
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: The Impact of ESD on Insulated Portable Equipment
The purpose of this discussion is to recap the impact ESD
has on portable, battery powered equipment. It will be
shown that ESD can cause failures in “floating ground systems” in a variety of ways. Specifically, ESD induced failures
can be caused by one or more of its complex components:
Predischarge - Corona Generated RF
Predischarge - E Field
Discharge
- Collapsing E Field
Discharge
- Collapsing H Field
Discharge
- Current Injection...Voltage...Additional
Fields
With this in mind it will be shown that the only way to insure
equipment survivability to ESD is to use a Transient Voltage
Suppressor (in addition to proper circuit layout, decoupling,
and shielding).
In order to get a better understanding of what happens in an
ESD event the charge developed by a human body should be
defined. The ESD schematic equivalent of the human body
model is shown in Figure 1. Typically, the charge developed
on a person can be represented by a 150pF capacitor in
series with a resistance of 330 ohms. The energy of an ESD
waveform generated from this model is Q = 1/2 CV2 where
Q = total energy in Joules, C = capacitance of the human
body model in farads and V = charging voltage in volts.
Voltages can be as high as 25 kV, however typical voltages
seen are in the 8 to 15 kV regions.
In the predischarge scenario (Figure 2) a human charged to
–20 kV may approach a battery powered “system” on a
table. As the person reaches toward the system electrostatics dictate that the system will have an equal and opposite
charge on the system’s surface nearest to the person.
SInce the system we are approaching is isolated from
ground, the charge is only redistributed among the device.
(If the system were grounded a current would be generated
by the loss of electrons to ground. The system would then
become positive relative to ground). The rate of approach of
the human body model affects the charging current to a
small extent. However, most importantly, it is the electrostatic field and the unequal voltages which developed across
the equipment that cause the destruction of components
within the system. In general, unprotected IC’s (particularly
CMOS) are susceptible to damage due to induced E field
v
o
l
t
a
g
e
s
.
This problem is further complicated by the device type
and complexity and the fact that the breakdown voltage
of a generic IC will vary greatly from manufacturer to
manufacturer (Figure 3). This brief discussion should be
adequately convincing that electrostatically induced E field
can impact system reliability. IC protection can be achieved
by placing a transient suppressor on the most susceptible
IC TYPE vs SUSCEPTIBILITY
10000
1000
Where:
CH = Human body
model capacitance
typically 150pF
CH
RH = Human body
model resistance
typically 330 Ω
Figure 1. Human Body Model
PREDISCHARGE E FIELD FAILURES
Now that we have a definition of the basic ESD human body
model we can discuss the predischarge E field failure mode.
POSITIVE INDUCED VOLTAGE
– 20 kV
+
++
+
+
+
+
+
+
++
+
+
+
+++
––
–
–
–
–
–
––
––
–
–
–
–
–
RESULTING NEGATIVE CHARGE
NEGATIVE 20 kV CHARGE
Figure 2. Pre-Discharge Scenario
130
VOLTS
RH
100
10
CMOS
S.TTL
M.FET
B.P.
ECL
JFET
EPROM GaAsFET
TECHNOLOGY
TYPICAL MIN.
TYPICAL MAX.
Figure 3. IC Type E Field Susceptibility
pins of the sensitive IC’s (e.g., Vcc and I/O pins, etc.).
CONTACT DISCHARGE FAILURES
As the charged person gets closer to the system, the situation is more complex. First a much more detailed human
body model is needed to represent the complex transmission line which will transport energy to the system
(see Figure 4). In this discussion we will only consider
the case of a single contact discharge. In the real world,
however, multiple discharges will likely occur (possibly
caused by a person’s hand reacting to an ESD spark and
then touching the system again, etc.).
In contact discharge, when a charged person approaches
the system, E fields are induced. As the person gets closer
to the system, the field intensity becomes greater, eventually
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: The Impact of ESD on Insulated Portable Equipment
reaching a point large enough to draw an arc between the
person and the system. In contrast to the noncontrast E field
example, the speed of approach is of great importance in
the contact discharge model. A fast approach causes a
more intensive discharge and faster current rise times and
peaks.
The model shown on Figure 4 can be broken up into 4 sections for the sake of simplification. The first section is the
human body model input voltage. This section is identical to
the simplified human body model shown in Figure 1.
Section 2 takes into account how the human body model
gets the energy to the system. This section considers the
inductance, resistance and capacitance of the human’s arm
and finger and its capacitance relative to ground and the
system.
The third section is the inductance and resistance of the arc
which is created as section 2 approaches the system
(Section 4).
Section four is the system itself.
The combination of the capacitances and inductances in
these sections form a complex network of LC tank circuits
which will inject a variety of waveforms (transients) into the
system. These waveforms will range in frequency from very
high (5 GHz) to high (100 MHz) to low (20-50 MHz) plus a
variety of under damped and over damped waveforms.
Finally, in addition to current/voltage injection occurring as a
result of the discharge, there will be collapsing E and H
fields and significant high frequency RF waveforms. Many
times these waveforms propagate into shielded equipment
and cause system/device failures.
Figure 4. Contact Discharge Model
SUMMARY
Designers may be inclined to think that E field variation due
to near field electrostatics (as in the person being close
to the system but not touching it) can be eliminated by
shielding. This is usually not the case because it is difficult to
get a tight columbic shield around internal circuitry without
incurring significant additional manufacturing costs.
Additionally, the shielding will likely have seams, ventilation
holes, or I/O ports which represent a significant portion
of a wavelength (at 5 GHz). Therefore, E fields and corona
generated RF can be a problem. Finally, if the system has
I/O connectors, keyboards, antennas, etc., care must be
taken to adequately protect them from direct/and indirect
transients. The most effective resolution is to place a
TransGuard® as close to the device in need of protection as
possible.These recommendations and comments are based
upon case studies, customer input and Warren Boxleitner’s
book Electrostatic Discharge and Electronic Equipment - A
Practical Guide for Designing to Prevent ESD Problems.
Section 3
ARC
LS
Section 1
Human Body Model
LH
Section 2
Arm/Hand Model
LA
RH
RS
Section 4
RA
CF
L
CAK
CH
CA
CK
R
Where: CH
RH
LH
CA
= Lumped capacitance between the human body and earth
= Lumped resistance of the human body
= Lumped inductance of the human body
= Lumped capacitance between the person’s arm and
earth
CAK = Lumped capacitance between the person’s arm
(and near portions of the body) and the keyboard
RA = Lumped resistance of the person’s arm’s discharge
path
LA = Lumped inductance of the person’s arm’s discharge
path
CF = Capacitance between person’s finger, hand, and the
keyboard
CK = Lumped capacitance of the keyboard to earth
RK = Lumped resistance of the keyboard earth ground path
LK = Lumped inductance of the keyboard earth ground path
131
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Motor and Relay Application Study
PURPOSE
A significant number of end customers have experienced
failures of circuitry in and around low voltage relays and
motors. Additionally, EMI problems have been associated
with running motors.
This study is aimed at evaluating how TransGuards® can
reduce EMI from running motors and clamp transients
generated from relays and motors during power off.
DESCRIPTION
Three different motors and two different relays were chosen
to represent the wide range of possible devices used by
designers. Device choices were as follows:
MOTORS
Cramer 8001 series Geared Motor
12V, 30rpm (4800 RPM armature speed) 170ma
Start/Run Torque 30oz
Comair Rotron DC Biscut Fan - 24V, 480ma
Comair Rotron DC Biscut Fan - 12V, 900ma
RELAYS
Potter and Brumfield 24V Relay
1
⁄3 HP 120V AC, 10A 240 VAC Rating
Potter and Brumfield 12V Relay
1
⁄3 HP 120V AC, 10A 240 VAC Rating
A Tektronix TDS 784A four channel 1GHz 4G S/s digitizing
storage scope was used to capture the -1⁄2 LI2 transient
peak from the relays and motors. A x10 probe was
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
251 Acqs
T
connected to the scope and one leg of the relay/motor coil;
the probe’s ground was connected to the other relay
coil/motor wire. The scope was triggered on the pulse and
waveforms printed.
When suppression was introduced into the circuit, it was
placed directly on the relay coils/motor lead wires. The
axial TransGuard® and capacitors had a 19mm (3⁄4") total
lead length in each case. Upon careful consideration, it was
determined that this was a fairly common lead length for
such applications.
SUMMARY
GEARED MOTOR
The Cramer geared motor was tested while running (under
load) to determine its “on state” noise as well as under
loaded turn off conditions. Both TransGuards® and ceramic
capacitors were tested to determine the level of protection
they offer.
A 14V axial TransGuard® provided the best protection during running and turn off. The VA100014D300 TransGuard®
cut the 60V unprotected turn off voltage spike to 30V. It
also cut the on state noise to 4.0V pk-pk due to its internal
capacitance. The following is a summary of measured voltages (scope traces are shown in Figures 1, 1A, 2, 2A).
Test Condition
Geared motor at
turn off
Geared motor
during running
Transient
without
Protection
Transient
with
.1μF cap
Transient
with
.01μF cap
Transient
with 14v
TransGuard®
60V
32V
48V
30V
12V pk-pk
4.0V pk-pk
4.0V pk-pk
4.0V pk-pk
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
]
64 Acqs
T
]
Fig. 1A. Geared
Motor Transient at
Turnoff with 14 V
TransGuard® 30 V 10
V/Division
Fig. 1. Geared Motor
Transient at Turnoff
without protection
60 V Gear Motor 20
V/Division
1
1
T
T
Ch1
2.00 Vⵒ
Tek Run: 5.00MS/s
[
Fig. 2. Geared Motor
Running noise
without protection
12 V pk-pk 2
V/Division
M 10.0μs Ch1
-3.68 V
5 Jul 1996 06:00:39
Sample
T
1.00 Vⵒ
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
]
Fig. 2A. Geared
Motor Running with
14 V TransGuard®
4 V pk-pk 2
V/Division
T
M 10.0μs Ch1
-2.72 V
5 Jul 1996 06:07:57
147 Acqs
]
T
T
1
1
Ch1
132
Ch1
200 Vⵒ
M 100ns Ch1
364mV
5 Jul 1996 05:07:06
Ch1
200mVⵒ
M 100ns Ch1
164mV
5 Jul 1996 05:43:56
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Motor and Relay Application Study
BISCUT FAN
The Comair 24V and 12V biscut fans were tested only for
transients at turn off. Results of those tests are shown in
the table at the right (as well as slope traces 3, 3A, 4, 4A).
Motor Type
24V Fan
12V Fan
(1) VA100030D650
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
482 Acqs
T
Transient
without
Protection
165V
60V
Transient
with
.1μF cap
120V
52V
Transient
with
.01μF cap
140V
64V
Transient
with
TransGuard®
65V(1)
30V(2)
TransGuard® / (2) VA100014D300 TransGuard®
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
]
506 Acqs
T
]
Fig. 3A. 24 V Biscut
Fan with 30 V
TransGuard®
65 V 50 V/Division
Fig. 3. 24 V Biscut
Fan without protection
165 V Biscut 50
V/Division
T
1
1
T
Ch1
5.00 Vⵒ
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
M 10.0μs Ch1
-6.1 V
7 Jul 1996 04:03:28
58 Acqs
T
Ch1
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
]
Fig. 4. 12 V Biscut
Fan without protection
60 V 20 V/Division
5.00 Vⵒ
M 10.0μs Ch1
-5.8 V
7 Jul 1996 04:06:48
265 Acqs
T
]
Fig. 4A. 12 V Biscut
Fan with 14 V
TransGuard®
30 V 20 V/Division
1
1
T
Ch1
2.00 Vⵒ
T
M 10.0μs Ch1
-7.72 V
7 Jul 1996 04:22:06
Ch1
2.00 Vⵒ
M 10.0μs Ch1
-2.12 V
7 Jul 1996 04:27:56
133
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Motor and Relay Application Study
RELAYS
The 12V and 24V relays were tested only for transients at
turn off. The results of those tests are shown in the table at
the right (as well as scope traces 5, 5A, 6, 6A).
Relay Type
24V
12V
(3) VA100026D580
Fig. 5. 24 V Relay
Transient without
protection
44 V 10 V/Division
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
75 Acqs
T
]
Transient
without
Protection
44V
105V
Transient
with
.1μF cap
24V
63V
Transient
with
.01μF cap
28V
100V
Transient
with
TransGuard®
28V(3)
30V(4)
TransGuard® / (4) VA100014D300 TransGuard®
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
Fig. 5A. 24 V Relay
Transient with 26 V
TransGuard®
10 V/Division
6873 Acqs
T
]
1
1
T
T
Ch1
1.00 Vⵒ Ch2 100mV
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
Ch1
M 10.0μs Ch1
-1.30 V
7 Jul 1996 03:21:47
501 Acqs
T
Tek Stop: 5.00MS/s
[
]
M 10.0μs Ch1 -520mV
7 Jul 1996 03:45:31
1.00 Vⵒ
154 Acqs
T
]
Fig. 6A. 12 V Relay
Transient with 14 V
TransGuard®
30 V 50 V/Division
Fig. 6. 12 V Relay
Transient without
protection
105 V 50 V/Division
1
1
T
Ch1
5.00 Vⵒ Ch2 100mV
T
M 10.0μs Ch1
-3.6 V
7 Jul 1996 02:47:37
Ch1
5.00 Vⵒ Ch2 100mV
M 10.0μs Ch1
-3.0 V
7 Jul 1996 02:50:00
CONCLUSIONS
TransGuards® can clamp the wide range of voltages coming from small/medium motors and relays due to inductive
discharge. In addition, TransGuards® capacitance can help reduce EMI/RFI. Proper selection of the TransGuards® voltage is
critical to clamping efficiency and correct circuit operation.
134
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Multilayer Varistors In Automobile MUX Bus Applications
The current trend in automobiles is towards increased performance, comfort and efficiency. To achieve these goals,
automobile companies are incorporating an ever increasing
array of electronics into cars. As the electronic content within
cars increases, auto manufacturers are utilizing multiplex
bus designs to network all the sensors to a central point
(usually the engine control unit [ECU]). Multiplex lines save
wiring harness weight and decrease the harness’ complexity,
while allowing higher communication speeds. However,
the multiplex structure tends to increase the occurrence
and severity of Electromagnetic Interference (EMC) and
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
Multilayer varistors (MLVs) are a single component solution for
auto manufacturers to utilize on multiplex nodes to eliminate
both ESD and EMC problems. MLVs also offer improved
reliability rates (FIT rates <1 failure/billion hours) and smaller
designs over traditional diode protection schemes.
TYPICAL MUX NODE APPLICATION
There are a variety of SAE recommended practices for vehicle
multiplexing (J-1850, J-1939, J-1708, J-1587, CAN). Given
the number of multiplexing specifications, it is easy to
understand that bus complexity will vary considerably.
Each node has an interface circuit which typically consists
of a terminating resistor (or sometimes a series limiting
resistor), back to back Zener diodes (for over voltage
protection) and an EMC capacitor. Such a method is
compared to that of a multilayer varistor in Figure 1.
XCVR
BUS
XCVR
BUS
EMC
CAP
MLV PROTECTION METHOD
SINGLE COMPONENT SOLUTION
DIODE PROTECTION METHOD
THREE COMPONENT SOLUTION
Figure 1. Comparison of past node protection methods to
MLV node protection methods.
To more clearly understand the functional structure of a
MLV, see the equivalent electrical model shown in Figure 2.
• MULTIPLE ELECTRODES YIELD A CAPACITANCE
• THE CAPACITANCE CAN BE USED IN DECOUPLING
• CAPACITANCE CAN BE SELECTED FROM 30pF TO 4700pF
LB
CE
RV
RI
LB
RV
CE
BODY INDUCTANCE
DEVICE CAPACITANCE
VOLTAGE VARIABLE RESISTOR
INSULATION RESISTANCE
As the schematic in Figure 1 illustrates, the implementation
of MLV protection methods greatly simplifies circuit layout,
saves PCB space and improves system reliability. The MLV
offers many additional electrical improvements over
the Zener/passive schemes. Among those advantages
are higher multiple strike capability, faster turn on time and
larger transient overstrike capability. Further clarification on
the types of varistors compared to the performance of
Zener diodes follows.
CONSTRUCTION AND PHYSICAL
COMPARISON
The construction of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) varistors is a well
known, relatively straightforward process in which ZnO
grains are doped with cobalt, bismuth, manganese and
other oxides. The resulting grains have a Schottky barrier at
the grain interface and a typical grain breakdown voltage
(Vb) of approximately 3.6V per grain.
Currently, there are two types of varistors. Single layer
varistors (SLVs) – an older technology referred to as
“pressed pill,” typically are larger, radial leaded components
designed to handle significant power. Multilayer varistors
(MLVs) are a relatively new technology packaged in true EIA
SMT case sizes.
Beyond the ZnO material system and grain breakdown
similarity, MLVs and SLVs have little in common. That is, to
design a low voltage SLV, the grains must be grown as
large as possible to achieve a physically large enough part
to be handled in the manufacturing process. Typically it is
v
e
r
y
difficult to obtain a consistent grain size in a low voltage
SLV process.
The electrical performance of SLV is affected by inconsistent grain size in two ways. First, low voltage SLVs often
exhibit an inconsistent V b and leakage current (I L) from
d
e
v
i
c
e
to device within a particular manufacturing lot of a given
rating. This contributes to early high voltage repetitive strike
wear out.
Secondly, SLVs with similar voltage and energy ratings as
MLVs typically exhibit a lower peak current capability due in
part to increased resistance of the long current path of the
large grains. This contributes to early repetitive high current
wear out.
At higher voltages, the grain size variations within SLVs play
a much smaller percentage role in Vb and leakage current
values. As a result, SLVs are the most efficient cost effective
way to suppress transients in high voltages (e.g., 115 VAC,
220 VAC).
RI
Figure 2. TransGuard® Equivalent Model.
135
TransGuard®
AVX Multilayer Ceramic Transient Voltage Suppressors
Application Notes: Multilayer Varistors In Automobile MUX Bus Applications
MLV MANUFACTURE
The construction of a MLV was made possible by employing
a variety of advanced multilayer chip capacitors (MLCC)
manufacturing schemes coupled with a variety of novel and
proprietary ZnO manufacturing steps. In the MLCC process,
thin dielectrics are commonly employed to obtain very large
capacitance values. It is that capability to design and manufacture multilayer structures with dielectric thicknesses of ≤1
mil that allows MLVs to be easily made with operating/
working voltages (V wm) as low as 3.3V (for use in next
generation silicon devices).
Once a particular working voltage has been determined
(by altering the ZnO dielectric thickness), the multilayer
varistor's transient energy capability is determined by the
number of layers of dielectric and electrodes. It is, therefore,
generally easy to control the grain size and uniformity within
a MLV due to the relative simplicity of this process.
MLVs exhibit capacitance due to their multiple electrode
design and the fact that ZnO is a ceramic dielectric.
This capacitance can be utilized with the device’s series
inductance to provide a filter to help limit EMI/RFI. The
equivalent model of a MLV is shown in Figure 2.
MLVs are primarily used as transient voltage suppressors. In
their “on” state, they act as a back-to-back Zener, diverting
to ground any excess, unwanted energy above their clamping voltage. In their “off” state, they act as an EMC capacitor
(capacitance can be minimized for high speed applications).
A single MLV, therefore, can replace the diode, capacitor
and resistor array on multiplex node applications.
Any TVS will see a large number of transient strikes over its
lifetime. These transient strikes will result from different
events such as well known ESD HBM, IC MM, alternator
field decay, load dump models and uncontrolled random
events. It is because of the repetitive strikes that all TVS
suppressors should be tested for multiple strike capability.
Typically, a TVS will fail due to high voltage, high current or
over-energy strikes.
High voltage repetitive strikes are best represented by IEC
61000-4-2 8kV waveforms. MLVs demonstrate a greatly
superior capability to withstand repetitive ESD high voltage
discharge without degradation.
High current repetitive strikes are represented by 8x20μs
150A waveforms. A comparison between MLVs, SLVs and
SiTVS is shown in Figures 3A, B, C respectively.
SILICON TVS MANUFACTURE
The construction of a silicon TVS departs dramatically
from that of either single layer varistor or multilayer varistor
construction. Devices are generally produced as Zener
diodes with the exception that a larger junction area
is designed into the parts and additional testing was likely
performed. After the silicon die is processed in accordance
to standard semi-conductor manufacturing practice, the
TVS die is connected to a heavy metal lead frame and
molded into axial and surface mount (SMT) configuration.
MLVs COMPARED TO DIODES
The response time for a silicon diode die is truly subnanosecond. The lead frame into which the die is placed
and the wire bonds used for die connections introduce a
significant amount of inductance. The large inductance of
this packaging causes a series impedance that slows the
response time of SiTVS devices. A best case response time
of 8nS on SOT23 and a 1.5nS to 5nS response time on
SMB and SMC products respectively are rather typical.
MLVs turn on time is <7nS. MLVs turn on time is faster than
SiTVS and that fast turn on time diverts more energy and
current away from the IC than any other protection device
available.
CONCLUSION
The technology to manufacture MLVs exists and allows the
manufacture of miniature SMT surge suppressors. MLVs do
not have the wear out failure mode of first generation (single
layer) varistors. In fact, MLVs exhibit better reliability numbers than that of TVS diodes. MLVs are a viable protection
device for auto multiplex bus applications.
Written by Ron Demcko
Originally printed in EDN PRODUCTS EDITION December
1997 by CAHNERS PUBLISHING COMPANY
150 AMP Current Repetitive Strike Comparison
Repetitive Strike Performance
8X20 μS 150A
Repetitive Strike Performance
8X20 μS 150A
Repetitive Strike Performance
8X20 μS 150A
1200
1000
800
1000
800
600
800
600
600
400
400
400
200
200
200
0
0.1
0.3
Energy (J)
26v
0.4
48v
1.2
60v
2.0
Figure 3A. Multilayer Varistor.
136
18v
30v
0.9
Vwm
0
0.1 0.17 0.2
0.25 0.3 0.4
0.5 0.6 0.8
0.9 1.0 1.2
8v
14v
18v
22v
28v
48v
56v
Energy (J)
Figure 3B. Single Layer Varistor.
5.5v
Vwm
18.8v
0
15v
13v
0.06
12v
11v
5.0v
0.84
Energy (J)
2.1
Figure 3C. Silicon TVS.
Vwm