Although anti-static and transient overvoltage protection devices are both designed to protect electronic devices from external voltage pulses, they have some key differences:
- Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection: Electrostatic discharge is a form of high-voltage transient pulse caused by an imbalance of charge between objects, usually with a short duration of hundreds of picoseconds to a few nanoseconds. The purpose of ESD protection is to absorb and limit the high-voltage pulse caused by electrostatic discharge to prevent it from damaging sensitive electronic components. Commonly used ESD protection components include TVS diodes and low-capacitance ESD protection components.
- Transient overvoltage protection: Transient overvoltage refers to a short high-voltage pulse caused by lightning strikes, switching operations, or other reasons, and its duration is usually in the microsecond to millisecond range. Transient overvoltage protection is designed to absorb and limit these high-energy transient overvoltage pulses to prevent them from damaging electronic equipment. Commonly used transient overvoltage protection components include TVS diodes, metal oxide varistors (MOVs), and gas discharge tubes (GDTs).
The duration and total energy of the transient pulse can be very different between these two events, thus necessitating different protection technologies depending on the specific needs and risks of your system.
