Littelfuse has announced AQ4315-01ETG and SP4315-01WTG, two new Bidirectional TVS Diode Arrays (SPA Diodes) that combine industry-leading low clamping voltage with ultra-low capacitance to protect today’s fastest automotive and consumer data interfaces from electrostatic discharge (ESD) without compromising signal integrity.
High-speed interfaces such as automotive ADAS, DisplayPort, and USB4 are increasingly vulnerable to ESD damage as data-line voltages drop below 1 V to save energy and reduce EMI. Conventional TVS diodes force a trade-off between low clamping voltage and low capacitance, and many competing devices advertise a lower breakdown voltage while still clamping at levels that leave protected chips exposed to damage. The AQ4315-01ETG and SP4315-01WTG close that gap, holding clamping voltage to a typical 4.5V to 6.5V while suppressing ESD transients ranging from 8,000V to 20,000V down to well under 10V at the protected device, an 800- to 2,000-times reduction in the voltage and current reaching the IC and keeping it safely within its Safe Operating Area (SOA).
“The industry is moving toward lower-voltage, higher-speed interfaces faster than traditional ESD protection can keep up,” said Sophia Hu, Assistant Product Marketing Manager, Diode Arrays, Littelfuse Protection Business Unit. “The AQ4315-01ETG and SP4315-01WTG give designers an extremely low clamping voltage without the capacitance penalty, so they gain stronger ESD and surge protection while preserving the signal integrity and board space their next-generation automotive and consumer designs demand.”
Key features and benefits
Ultra-low clamping voltage: typical 4.5V to 6.5V during an ESD strike, as much as a tenfold improvement over comparable TVS diodes
- Ultra-low capacitance: 0.25pF (AQ4315-01ETG) or 0.17pF (SP4315-01WTG) to preserve high-speed signal integrity
- High ESD withstand: ±15kV contact and ±20kV air per IEC 61000-4-2; the AQ4315-01ETG also qualifies to ISO10605
- Automotive-grade reliability: AQ4315-01ETG is AEC-Q101 qualified and PPAP capable, rated -40°C to 150°C
- Industry-standard packaging: SOD-882/DFN1006 (AQ4315-01ETG) and 0201 WLCSP flip-chip (SP4315-01WTG) for fast, easy design-in
- Low leakage current: 50nA maximum to minimise power consumption in battery-powered and always-on designs
- Broad protection margin: suppresses ESD transients of 8,000V to 20,000V to well under 10V at the protected device
Target markets and applications
- Automotive ADAS, DisplayPort, and Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) interfaces
- Gigabit Video Interface (GVIF) and Low Voltage Differential Signalling (LVDS) links
- 2.5G/5G/10G automotive and consumer Ethernet
- Thunderbolt 5.0, USB 3x, and USB4 consumer computing interfaces
- Consumer DisplayPort and other high-speed data line interfaces
- Industrial machine-to-machine communication protocols and legacy USB interfaces
- Space-constrained wearable and portable consumer electronics
The AQ4315-01ETG and SP4315-01WTG extend the Littelfuse SPA Diode portfolio into a new class of ultra-low-voltage ESD protection as automotive and consumer interfaces adopt progressively lower data-line voltages, some running below 1V. Both devices let design teams move quickly from inferior protection schemes to a solution engineered for today’s most sensitive, highest-speed interfaces.
