TVS- Diodes

The P4SMA480C is a Type 2 form of Transient Volt-Age-Suppressor (TVS) diodes, designed primarily to protect against electrical overstress (EOS), such as lightning or electrostat-ic discharge (ESD). It is a rectifier that clamps an incoming voltage to ensure its safety, typically mounted between the positive and negative pins of a circuit board. The device blocks excessive incoming voltage, dis-charging any above a safe threshold and helping to re-duce the risk of damage from ESD strikes.

Application Fields

The P4SMA480C is often found in applications such as product designs and circuit boards, includ-ing automotive electronics, telecommunications equipment, air conditioning systems, and com-puter peripherals. It is also used in mobile devices and wearables, as well as many other electronic circuits.

This device is perfect for protecting circuits from lightning, ESD sparks, and overvoltage transients, as it has an ultra-low capacitance between con-ductors. This helps to reduce ringing, propagation delay, and power dissipation when clamped. It also offers a lower clamping voltage than traditional Silicon Avalanche Diodes (SAD).

Working Principle

The P4SMA480C employs a Zener technology, or ‘on-state’ mode, which terminates the voltage before it exceeds a certain, pre-defined level. This helps to protect vulnerable circuits from high-voltage lightning and ESD strikes.

When the protective diode is triggered, it will release a stored electrical energy in the form of an avalanche current. This will cause a rise in the protective diode’s terminal voltage, which helps to protect the protected circuit from further voltage transients and, ultimately, from system malfunction or destruction.

When the incoming voltage exceeds a certain level, the P4SMA480C switches to its protective mode. Then, the diode will clamp the voltage to safety level. As a result, it helps to eliminate the damage and system malfunctions, such as temporary failure, caused by overvoltage transients and surges.

Conclusion

The P4SMA480C is a Type 2 form of TVS diode, primarily used to protect electronic circuits from EOS such as lightning and ESD strikes. Its low capacitance and adjustable clamping voltage help to reduce ringing, propagation delay, and power dissipation. This device is useful in many applications, from telecom-munications and automotive electronics to wearables and mobile devices.