Littelfuse introduces PPTC devices to protect charging cables
Littelfuse offers the PolySwitch LoRho series SMD PPTC devices that provides protection for charging cables and connectors from heat generated due to faults within the cable connector or port. As connector sizes get smaller, so does the pin-to-pin spacing, which increases the chance of dirt, dust, water and other debris collecting between the pins, and causing an electrical fault.
Such faults can generate high levels of heat, which can damage charging cables and the devices being charged, as well as injure users. Placing a LoRho series PPTC on the connector’s Vbus line, the device will sense the temperature rise and stop the charging process until the contamination is removed. Once the fault is corrected, the device automatically resets.
Typical applications for the LoRho Series SMD PPTCs include protecting charging cables and connectors with a small pin pitch (pin-to-pin dimensions), such as microUSB and USB-C. This is especially important in fast-charging applications that use higher voltages and currents, such as smartphones, tablets and laptop computers, TVs and set-top boxes, cameras, and video games consoles.
According to Littelfuse, having both over-current and over-temperature protection is critically important to safeguarding users of charging cables. Littelfuse believes that this low resistance, compact size, voltage level, overcurrent and over-temperature protection, and resettability have never before been combined in a single device.
Key benefits of the LoRho series SMD PPTCs are a surface mount design that is compatible with reflow soldering processes, which allows for reduced assembly time and cost, compared withleaded and strapped devices.
The compact 1206- and 1210-size packages save printed circuit board (PCB) space at the USB-C connector and ensure the USB-C plug meets USB-IF dimension specifications. They are also well-suited for use in fast-charging applications up to 12V DC and 4.5A Ihold.
The LoRho series SMD PPTCs are available in 1206- and 1210-size surface mount packages in tape and reel format in quantities of 15,000. Sample requests may be placed through authorised Littelfuse distributors worldwide.
