Ceradiodes protect many USB ports simultaneously

TTI has launched Ceradiode arrays from Epcos, which are used to protect several USB ports simultaneously from static discharges, significantly reducing the PCB space and logistics costs.

Ceradiodes are ceramic components that have been developed to provide ESD protection for data, audio and video lines, as well as for ICs and interfaces, and are said to provide a cost-effective alternative to other ESD protection components, such as zener and TVS diodes.

In many cases, a semiconductor diode can be replaced by a Ceradiode on a one-to-one basis, without making any changes to the pad circuit layout.

Because data rates of up to 480Mbit/s are transmitted via the USB connection, the capacitance of the ESD protection element should be minimised in order to avoid transmission losses and signal distortions.

The protection function can be realised by single and array components, the latter being preferred to save space and costs.

The protection components must additionally satisfy the international ESD standard IEC 61000-4-2, level 4.

Epcos offers Ceradiodes as single and array components that meet these requirements precisely.

Ceradiodes are bidirectional components and, as such, there is no danger of positioning them in the wrong direction.

All Ceradiodes also satisfy the requirements of the international ESD standard IEC 61000-4-2 levels 1 to 4, which involves testing the components within the human-body model.

The ESD protection properties of the Ceradiodes are constant up to an operating temperature of 85C.

Due to their internal electrode structure, Ceradiodes have a defined capacitance, or capacitor properties, which is is type-dependent and can be used for filter functions.

In this way a Ceradiode can replace a capacitor as well as a semiconductor diode, so one component may easily replace three.

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