Top10CircuitProtectionConsiderations

(PublishedFebruary2013,Konstruktion&Entwicklungmagazine,Germany)

Selectingtherightcircuitprotectioncomponentsisessentialtodesigningrobust,reliableindustrial
powerconversionequipment.Thisarticle,drawingontheexperienceLittelfusehasaccumulatedover
85years,outlinesthetop10overvoltage(OV)andovercurrent(OC)protectionconsiderationsforlow
voltage(<1000V)lightindustrialapplications.

SystemOperatingVoltage

Forlowvoltageequipment,systemvoltagevariesbyapplication,fromthe400VACEuropeanthree
phasesupplytothe3.3VDCsystemcontrolboard.

ForOVprotection,itisgenerallyacceptedthattheratingofthestandoffvoltagedevicemustbehigher
thanthepeakvoltageforACorthehighestDCvoltageofthepowersource,includinganytemporaryor
longtermtestingconditions.Increasingthestandoffvoltagereducesthenumberoflowlevel
conductingeventsthedevicemustwithstand,whichwillincreaselifeexpectancybutmayalsoincrease
thepeakletthroughvoltageorprotectionvoltage,dependingontheselecteddevice.

ForfuseandPPTCselection,theprotectiondevicesvoltageratingmustbehigherthanthesystem
voltageincludinganytemporaryconditions.

InterruptingRating

Inthecircuitprotectionworld,interruptingreferstotheinterruptingratingofafuseorcircuitbreaker
(orbreakingcapacityofafuse).

Thechart(right)istakenfroma1ATEtypefuse,
whichisratedat250VAC;thebreakingcapacityis
at25A,whichmeansthefusehasthecapability
toopena25Acurrentsafelyat250VAC.

Afusesinterruptingratingmustbehigherthan
theavailablecurrentfromthecircuittobeprotected(oftencalledtheprospectiveshortcircuitcurrent).

InternationalStandardsandExpectedWithstand

TocounterthreatslikeESD,EFT,andlightninginducedsurges,someimportantindustrystandardshave
beendeveloped:

ESDthreat:IEC6100042

Electricalfasttransient:IEC6100044

Lightning:IEC6100045

ForESD,theexpectedwithstandisatleast8kVcontact.ForEFT,theexpectedwithstandisbetween1kV
and2kV(industrial).Forlightning,themostcommonexpectedwithstandlevelsare6kVand3kA.

EnduranceRequirements

Compactpowerconversionequipmentcomponentsmustendurehightemperaturesandthermalcycling
reliably.Forlowvoltage,lowpowerinterconnections,therequirementtosurviveESD,EFT,orTLPmay
beupto20or30kVcontactdischargeforESD,level5orgreaterforEFT,and10A+ofTLP.

LittelfusehasextendeditslineofindustrialgradepartsintheAKSeriesDiodesupto15kA8/20ussurge
withstandingcapabilityanddevelopedtheawardwinningTMOV25SandTMOV34Sdevicestohelp
powersupplydesignspasstherelevantregulatorytesting.

ComponentRatingvs.CalculatedNeeds

ThefollowingillustrationofabasicSMPSpowerstructureshowswhereprotectiondeviceslikefusesand
MOVs/TVSDiodesareused.

 1) Forsurgetesting,thefusemustnotopenduetotheOVsurge.Theruleofthumb:theI2t
(MeltingIntegral)ofthefuseshouldbeatleastfivetimesthatofthesurge.

2) ForOCtesting,thefuseshouldopenbeforeothercomponentsareaffected,startsmokingor
catchfire.

3) Fusebreakingcapacityshouldbechosenbasedonshortcircuitcurrentcapabilityofthepower
sourceincludinganycable/cord.IECdefinesthreelevels(Low,EnhancedandHigh).

4) Postrectificationpart(DCSide):LittelfusehasspecialtyfusesdesignedforhighvoltageDC
applicationsusing400VDCto1000VDC.

LifetimeExpectations

Designinganindustrialpowerconversionproducttolast1020yearsrequiresconsideringprotection
componentdegradation.Forexample,lightninginducedsurgeshaveaquantifiableeffectonMOVlife.
Muchthesameistrueforfuses:inrushcurrentduringaswitchonsequencecanproduceOC
conditions.

MOVsexhibitapowerwithstanding
curve.Thisgraphindicatesthenumberof
pulseeventsaparticularMOVcan
withstandforthepulseduration.This
shouldbeconsideredinconjunctionwith
theelectricalenvironmentinwhichthe
equipmentwillbeinstalled.

TemperaturederatingforOC
protection/fusesfrom25Cto85C:

ForaWIA(WireInAir)fuse,derate
about5%.
Thinfilmfuse,derateat10%.
ResettablePPTC,derateat40%.

PulsecyclewithstandforWIAfuses.
StressingafusewithimpulseOC
conditionsaffectsthewireelementand
increasedpulsemagnitudereduceslife.

VoltageLimitingRequirements

ControlICsusedforindustrialpowerconversioncontrolaresmaller,fasterandlesstolerantofOVand
OC,soshorterreactiontimesandlowerprotectionvoltagesareessential,especiallyiftheIChasadirect
connectiontootherequipment.Intelligentpowercontroloftenconsistsofanaloglines,RS
communicationand/ordifferentialbuscommunication.LittelfusehasafamilyofSPA(SiliconProtection
Arrays=DiodeArrays)devicestailoredfortheseapplications.

ThetwomostcommonwaysofdivertingOVeventstoprotectsensitivecontrolICsarecrowbarand
clampingdevices.Thecrowbarmethodcanbeusedforwiringofadataportdependinguponprevailing
operatingconditions.TheclampingmethodcanbeusedforbothACandDCpowerlines,aswellas
datalinesandanaloglines.

CrowbarDevices ClampingDevices
(GDT,SIDACtor,andPGB) (TVS,MOV,andMLV)

LongTermandTemporaryOV

Formainspower,selectanOVprotectiondevicewitharatedoperatingvoltageaboveanypotentialhigh
mainsorlongtermOVconditiontoensurethedeviceisnotrenderedineffectivebyoverdissipation.
SafetyagenciessometimesimposeTemporaryOV(TOV)testingconditionsonequipment;anyOV
protectiondevicemustbeabletosurvivethesetemporaryconditionswithoutriskoffire,etc.TOV
conditionscancausecatastrophicfailureofOVprotectiondeviceslikevaristorsduetothelonger
durationoffaultcurrentgoingthroughthedevice.LittelfuseTMOVSeriesVaristorshaveanintegrated
thermalcutoutdevicecoupledtothevaristordiscforoptimalprotectionagainstdangerousTOV
conditions.

ComponentEffectsonData

ParalleldatatransmissionisgivingwaytoserialdatatransmissionascontrolICsbecomefasterand
smaller,anddatarateshaverisensharply.MostoftheICsused
nowhavefinerinternalgeometries,leadingtoareductioninOV
withstand.

Littelfusewasthefirstsuppliertointroduceeyediagram
measurementsforsignalintegritychecksofESDprotection
devicessuchasPulseGuardforUSB2.0ESDprotection.

Asaruleofthumb,the480MbpsdatarateofUSB2.0requiresthatthecapacitanceoftheprotection
devicebelowerthan3.0pFinordertoavoidsignalintegrityproblems.ThehighestcapacitanceLittelfuse
PulseGuardproductis0.12pF;withaleakagecurrentoflessthan1nA,itdoesnotdisturbsuch
communications.

ThefollowingtablecomparesthemostcommonESDprotectiontechnologiesLittelfuseoffersfortheir
suitabilityforvariousdatarates/interfacespeeds.

ProtectionandTesting

Today,lesscircuitdesigntimeisavailablethanever,whichcancompromisecircuitprotection.Littelfuse
hastestlabsaroundtheglobetohelpcustomerstestanddebugtheirboardsandapplicationsbefore
applyingforofficialcertification.

Withonsiteexpertguidance,
worldclasstestequipment,and
circuitprotectionsolution
support,Littelfusetrulystandsfor
expertiseapplied,answers
delivered.