Bourns® Power Play Solution™

Load dump tests are typically mandated by various automotive standards bodies and regulatory agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of nearly all vehicle components and systems. These tests are performed and scheduled during the development and validation of vehicle components to verify compliance with safety regulations and ensure the robustness of electrical systems. These tests also help identify design issues, allowing designers to implement appropriate protective measures to mitigate the risks associated with a load dump event.

To ensure safety when a vehicle's generator is disconnected, the latest ISO 16750 test requirements call for solutions that can handle larger surge voltages and protect against longer duration events with less internal resistance. These requirements make it difficult for traditional varistor solutions to pass the test criteria. The customer was unable to pass the latest ISO tests with the Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) they were previously using and approached Bourns for a more powerful Transient Voltage Suppressor (TVS) diode. The ideal solution was Bourns' dual channel TVS diode, which provided effective protection against very high energy load dump transients when the battery is disconnected and helped eliminate the threat of an open circuit from the charging element.

The schematic below shows the clamping voltage capability of a Bourns TVS diode (SM8S24CA-Q) during a load dump event.

Overview

■ Customer: Automotive accessory manufacturer

■ Industry: Automotive

■ Application: Automotive headlamps

■ Bourns Product: SM8S24CA-Q (TVVS Diode)

■ Advantages: Provides accurate voltage clamping and helps reduce component count, making it cost-effective

situation

An automotive accessory customer approached Bourns to help them meet ISO 16750 testing requirements for their automotive headlamp design. The ISO testing ensures that the headlamp circuitry is protected from load-dump transients to prevent potential damage without jeopardizing reliable operation. A proven solution is to use load-dump protection devices such as TVS diodes and MOVs. These devices connect to the input power supply and provide the ability to clamp the voltage to a safe level during a load-dump event. In automotive accessory applications, this level of protection is also necessary to protect the headlamp and other components from overvoltage damage.

Compatibility

Bourns® Power Play Solution™ helps designers meet ISO 16750 testing requirements.

Further benefits

An additional benefit the Bourns® Power Play Solution™ provided to customers was a reduction in component count, providing a more cost-effective solution.

A Bourns® Power Play Solution™ success story details how the SM8S24CA-Q (TVS Diode) successfully helped this automotive manufacturer pass multiple required ISO safety tests for their headlamp design, and highlights the importance of using an effective protection solution in applications where very high energy load dump transients occur when the battery is disconnected.

Recommended related articles

• ESD protection elements (TVS, varistors)
• SM8S-Q Series

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