SA170CAHA0G

TVS - Diodes

Transient Voltage Suppression (TVS) diodes are widely used in applications where transient voltage protection is highly desired. They offer protection from relatively high-voltage transient and surges that can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as electrostatic discharge (ESD), lightning, and load switching.

One of the popular products in the TVS diode series is a SA170CAHA0G. This diode is a unidirectional protection diode that is designed to protect sensitive components from high-voltage transients. It has a peak surge pulse rating of 500A (8/20µs), and a clamping voltage of 170V. This diode offers protection to sensitive components against high-voltage transients such as those generated by electrostatic discharge (ESD). It also offers protection from voltage transients sustained due to lightning strikes and load switches. The diode has a wide range of operating temperature from −55 °C to +125 °C.

Application Field

The SA170CAHA0G can be used in a variety of applications, ranging from automotive electronics, communications systems, and telecommunication systems to industrial, consumer and computing equipment. Its wide temperature operational range makes it a suitable for different applications in harsh environments. It is also suitable for different levels of protection ranging from low to medium power protection. The use cases of this diode are as following –

• Automotive electronics, including ECU, ICs, sensors, communication radio and multimedia.
• Communication systems, such as DSL, CATV, and 10/100Mbps Ethernet.
• Telecommunication systems, such as CDMA, GSM, and WCDMA.
• Industrial equipment, such as PLCs, inverters, and drives.
• Consumer electronics, such as displays and motherboards.
• Computing and servers, such as hard disk drives and server racks.

Working Principle

SA170CAHA0G uses a Silicon Avalanche Diode (SAD) to provide protection from voltage transients, lightning strikes and ESD. SADs are uniquely designed to have a hexagonal structure that helps in quickly responding to voltage transients. When a transient voltage spike occurs, the voltage across the diode quickly increases and triggers the SAD. Once triggered, the SAD behaves like a low-resistance switch and provides protection by clamping the voltage to a predetermined safe level. This allows the protected component or device from over-voltage damage, while allowing the current to flow safely. The SAD quickly resets to its open-state after the surge has passed and allow for normal operation to resume.

Overall

In conclusion, SA170CAHA0G is a widely used protection diode which offers protection against high-voltage transients, surges and ESD. It is suitable for use in a variety of applications where transient voltage protection is highly desired. Its wide temperature operational range ensures it can be used in harsh environments, and its peak surge pulse rating of 500A (8/20µs) makes it a suitable for a variety of protection levels. Due to all these features, it is a popular choice in the industry.