It is important to protect yourself with accurate measurements and testing.

When using a USB connector, you may experience a momentary tingling sensation when touching the exposed part of the device. This is because the charge accumulated in the human body, a type of conductor, transfers momentarily from your hand to the electronic device, generating static electricity. The problem is that while electrostatic discharge (ESD) itself isn't dangerous to humans, it can be fatal to electronic devices.

This is why all parts of a USB connector exposed to the user must be protected from electrostatic discharge. Failure to do so could result in damage to internal components or, in severe cases, fire. Furthermore, if components used in production lines are damaged, a fire could result, potentially causing property damage and even human casualties.

Regarding this, TI Korea's Sungmin Moon, a representative, pointed out, "Many designers overlook circuit protection when designing circuits and test designs. Circuits can be damaged for unexpected reasons, so paying close attention to circuit protection is crucial."

For example, in a design using FETs, the actual operating range is limited, and if you don't recognize this and use a small capacitance where a large capacitance should be used, it can cause problems. Accurate measurements and testing are necessary to prevent these problems.


Circuit protection, a fundamental component of products and design boards, is a technology used across industries, including personal electronics and automotive. "The most crucial aspect of circuit protection is accurately measuring current and voltage and quickly shutting them off when they exceed specified levels," said Mr. Moon. "TI's circuit protection solutions focus on this area."

Circuit protection products typically include current limiters, hot-swap devices, and eFuses. TI's TPS25924x devices belong to the eFuse family. Offering both circuit protection and power management in an ultra-small package, they protect against damaging factors such as overloads, short circuits, voltage surges, overcurrents, and reverse currents, all with minimal external components.

Additionally, the hot-swap controller drives the external channel MOSFETs while protecting the load and external MOSFETs from potential hazards. Current exceeding a user-specified threshold is immediately shut off at the source.

“Defects also occur between machines,” said Mr. Moon. “If a problem occurs at the node side of the power line, an instantaneous overcurrent occurs,” he said. “I want to provide information on which parts designers should consider when designing actual products to prevent circuit damage.”

You can learn more about the use of circuit protection, common design and test errors, ESD, and TI products in the online seminar (eeWebina) scheduled for the 10th.