Hello folks,
I'm finishing a design here that takes a number of single ended analog inputs to a product.
It's a reference design for a high volume consumer product that will be made available through my employers in the next few months, to anyone and everyone to copy.
While we've got the silicon side of things taken care of, one of my customers asked about ESD protection on the inputs.
Everyone seems to have their own opinions on these things, and as a guy who likes data and opinions I thought I'd throw it out here.
So - a question to you all, especially those of you who have experience in real world quantity production and quality.
Whats the best way to add ESD protection to your product, as cheaply as possible.
My first thought was ferrite beads on the inputs. (that should slow down any high frequency bursts).
Then I considered TVS Diodes. They look like a good solution, however, some quick googling suggests that things like current leakage and capacitance could be a problem.
I also considered some cheap clamping diodes (1N4148's) that'd clamp any excess signals directly to the power rails, again current leakage and capacitance could be a problem?
This ref design is for a product that will likely resell for less than $80. Cost pressure is immense, so any solution has to be very generic, and multisourced from a million small manufacturers and vendors.
As always, I appreciate and look forward to any feedback!
Cheers
Rochey
I'm finishing a design here that takes a number of single ended analog inputs to a product.
It's a reference design for a high volume consumer product that will be made available through my employers in the next few months, to anyone and everyone to copy.
While we've got the silicon side of things taken care of, one of my customers asked about ESD protection on the inputs.
Everyone seems to have their own opinions on these things, and as a guy who likes data and opinions I thought I'd throw it out here.
So - a question to you all, especially those of you who have experience in real world quantity production and quality.
Whats the best way to add ESD protection to your product, as cheaply as possible.
My first thought was ferrite beads on the inputs. (that should slow down any high frequency bursts).
Then I considered TVS Diodes. They look like a good solution, however, some quick googling suggests that things like current leakage and capacitance could be a problem.
I also considered some cheap clamping diodes (1N4148's) that'd clamp any excess signals directly to the power rails, again current leakage and capacitance could be a problem?
This ref design is for a product that will likely resell for less than $80. Cost pressure is immense, so any solution has to be very generic, and multisourced from a million small manufacturers and vendors.
As always, I appreciate and look forward to any feedback!
Cheers
Rochey