EMC Question of the Week: January 28, 2019
Gas discharge tubes are generally ineffective for protecting against ESD transients, because they
- have too much capacitance
- can't handle the energy
- are too slow to turn on
- all of the above
Answer
The best answer is "c." Compared to other common transient protection options, gas discharge tubes have very low capacitance. They are also one of the best options for dissipating high amounts of energy without being destroyed by the transient. Unfortunately they are relatively slow to turn on, making them generally unsuitable for ESD protection.
Devices suitable for ESD transient protection include certain diodes and varistors that are specifically designed for that purpose. Gas discharge tubes are best suited for primary lightning protection and other situations where high-energy transients may be encountered.
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