Littelfuse, an industrial technology manufacturing company, has unveiled two new Bidirectional TVS Diode Arrays (SPA Diodes), the AQ4315-01ETG and SP4315-01WTG, that combine low clamping voltage with ultra-low capacitance to protect the 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 1V to save energy and reduce EMI. Conventional TVS diodes force a trade-off between low clamping voltage and low capacitance.
The AQ4315-01ETG and SP4315-01WTG can hold clamping voltage to a typical 4.5V to 6.5V while suppressing ESD transients ranging from 8,000V to 20,000V down to under 10V at the protective device, an 800- to 2,000-fold reduction in the voltage and current reaching the IC and keeping it within its Safe Operating Area (SOA).
Sophia Hu, assistant product marketing manager, Diode Arrays, Littelfuse Protection Business Unit, said, “The industry is moving toward lower-voltage, higher-speed interfaces faster than traditional ESD protection can keep up. 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
- 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)
- 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 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 1 V. Both devices let design teams adopt a solution engineered for sensitive, high-speed interfaces.
