TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) has extended its range of TVS (transient voltage suppression) diodes characterized by their extremely low capacitance values for bidirectional overvoltage protection to include the ULC series (Ultra Low Clamping & Capacitance).

With the spread of cloud computing and smartphones and the launch of 5G in 2020, the amount of data that moves on the internet is increasing as high-volume video and game data is added to existing documents, images, and sound data.
In addition, technologies are evolving, exemplified by AI, and a digital transformation (DX) is taking place as a result of the use of big data and the internet of things (IoT). To support these advances, however, large numbers of high-performance servers that can process large volumes of data will be needed. In conjunction with the increased performance of processors and various types of ICs, higher clock speeds of power supply ICs on server boards, high current power saving, miniaturization, noise countermeasures in data lines, and surge countermeasures have become urgent issues. Here, we introduce TDK products for addressing and solving these problems including the VLBU series of ferrite power inductors compatible with the high-efficiency needs of VR13 and VR14 applications, the FS series of DC-DC converters with embedded μPOL™, solutions using the ALT series of pulse transformers and ALC series of common mode filters and chokes, and chip varistors and ceramic transient voltage suppressors used for surge protection.

TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) presents two new series of ThermoFuse® varistors, which are equipped with monitor outputs and integrated thermal protective components for overvoltage protection.
The MT25 series (B72225M*) currently covers a voltage range from 150 VRMS to 385 VRMS, and its maximum surge current capability is 20 kA at a pulse form of 8/20 µs, according to IEC 61643-11. With dimensions of 25 x 28 x 14 mm, the completely encapsulated protective components feature a particularly compact design. Their monitor outputs are optionally available with or without electrical isolation.

Chip varistors and TVS diodes are commonly used as over-voltage protection components.
Their structural design and manufacturing methods are completely different, but they offer similar characteristics with regard to protection from static electricity.
They generally can therefore be used interchangeably in a circuit, but there are cases where chip varistors are considered to be not suitable.
For historical reasons, many of the specification items given in catalogs and data sheets are different, which makes it difficult to compare characteristics based solely on these data, unlike in the case of capacitors and other general components.
The aim of this article is to clarify the difference between varistors and diodes and to introduce data that can be used to compare the two.

High-power loads are a major stress factor when fuses and components are switched on, as they cause very high currents to flow. To avoid this, TDK offers ceramic EPCOS inrush current limiters, based on NTC and PTC thermistors – a strong duo when used in combination.

TDK has an extensive lineup of inrush current limiting NTC thermistors available. This article describes various example applications of these products, used for ICL (inrush current limiting) purposes to easily and effectively suppress inrush current.
When power is first applied to electronic devices such as switching power supplies and inverters, an instantaneous current with an abnormally high peak will flow through them.<br>
This is known as “inrush current” and if not addressed, can lead to problems such as semiconductor element failure or reduced service life of smoothing capacitors. However, our inrush current limiting NTC thermistors can provide protection against this phenomenon to prevent such undesirable effects.

One of the properties of PTC thermistors is that when an excessively large current flows, they generate heat by themselves and become highly resistive. With this property, they are used as overcurrent protection devices. This article describes applications for inrush current limiting, overcurrent protection and telecom application.

PTC thermistors have the property that their resistance rises significantly when a certain temperature is exceeded. This property makes them suitable for use as temperature protection devices that detect defined high temperatures to protect circuits from overheating. TDK offers various types of PTC limit temperature sensors and motor protection sensors that incorporate PTC thermistors and serve as temperature protection devices. This article describes typical applications of such sensors.

SMD or chip varistors are voltage-dependent resistors based on ceramic multilayer technology. They are widely used to protect electronic circuits in consumer devices and telecom, industrial and automotive applications against transient overvoltages, such as electrostatic discharges (ESD) and surge transients.

Chip varistors have both surge absorption capabilities and noise suppressing effects.
See the adaptive application fields of various components for ESD countermeasures as well as the optimal application fields of TDK’s chip varistors / ceramic transient voltage suppressors, CeraDiodes, and multilayer chip protectors.