This section provides an overview for transient voltage surge suppressors as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 42 transient voltage surge suppressor manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked transient voltage surge suppressor companies as of November, 2024: 1.PD&E Electronics, 2.Exponential Power, 3.WAGO GmbH & Co. KG.
Table of Contents
A transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS), commonly referred to as a TVS diode, is designed to protect electronic devices and components from overvoltage surges and electrostatic discharge (ESD) noise. It utilizes the reverse breakdown voltage characteristic of the Zener diode's PN junction to stabilize transient voltages.
TVS diodes are favored for their excellent frequency response, offering protection against short pulse width transient voltage surges and ESD noise, which ordinary Zener diodes fail to guard against. However, they are not recommended for long pulse width surges, such as those caused by lightning. For optimal protection, they should be connected in parallel with the devices at risk of electrical overstress.
TVS diodes are utilized across a broad spectrum of applications to shield sensitive electronic equipment, data lines, and other critical devices from electrical transients. They ensure a steady output voltage in the presence of transient voltages, within the protected device's rated voltage. Common uses include automotive and consumer electronics, where they safeguard against surge voltages within the equipment. Due to their superior frequency characteristics, TVS diodes are frequently employed in communication signal circuits.
To maximize effectiveness, TVS diodes are installed between the signal line and ground (GND) near the entry point of external noise, typically close to the board connectors where transient voltages and ESD noise usually infiltrate via the harness.
Although TVS diodes vary in design and characteristics, their primary function is to provide consistent overvoltage protection. They achieve this through high energy absorption capability, safeguarding electrical circuits from transient surges. Upon encountering an overvoltage that exceeds the diode's reverse breakdown voltage, the TVS diode conducts current, leveraging the Zener diode's properties to maintain voltage within safe limits, thus preventing circuit damage.
Response times differ among TVS diodes, typically around 1ps for TVS diodes and less than 1us for avalanche diodes, enabling quicker reaction to overvoltages than other components like varistors, without performance degradation over time or use.
The selected TVS diode's allowable voltage must exceed the maximum voltage of the circuit it protects, as TVS diodes are not intended for constant current carrying.
Due to their inherent capacitive nature, TVS diodes can affect the signal's rise and fall times by acting like capacitors under normal conditions. It's crucial to choose a diode with a capacitance compatible with the signal specifications to preserve signal integrity.
The clamp voltage should be below the maximum rated voltage of the protected device. However, the effective clamping voltage may be higher than datasheet values due to board patterns and other factors, necessitating a selection margin for clamp voltage.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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New Jersey Semiconductor, established in 1957 and based in Springfield, NJ, USA, is an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer and supplier of electronic devices. The company's product range includes RF diodes, regulator diodes, bipolar transistors, FET transistors, and IGBT transistors. These products are designed for various circuitry and electronic operations in different environments. They serve industries such as military, avionics, industrial, and commercial. The company offers services including knowledgeable sales support, engineering and technical guidance, and prompt delivery from its inventory.
Frontier Electronics Corp., founded in 1972 and based in Simi Valley, California, is a manufacturer of passive components like diodes, MLCC capacitors, and magnetics such as air coils and transformers. The company can also provide customer-specific solutions, including manufacturing new components and technology or redesigning obsolete products to facilitate current manufacturing standards. It is ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certified, and all its standard products are RoHS compliant. It is also WBENC-certified and ITAR-compliant and partners with several distributors like NRC, Chiptronics Inc., and Digi-Key Electronics.
Littlefuse was founded in 1927 and headquartered in the United States. Littlefuse is a diversified industrial technology manufacturing company with customers globally. Littlefuse has products segments which are electronic, industrial, and transportation. Electronic segment products include fuses and fuse accessories, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, and varistors. Transportation products include blade, resettable, and high-current and high-voltage fuses, as well as battery cable protectors; fuses, switches, relays, circuit breakers, and power distribution modules. The Industrial segment offerings include contactors, transformers, and temperature sensors for use in renewable energy and energy storage systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, HVAC systems.
Patton Electronics Co., a manufacturer incorporated in 1984 and headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, specializes in UC, cloud, and IoT-enabling solutions for carrier, enterprise, and industrial networks. The extensive product range includes VoIP gateways, eSBCs, Ethernet extenders, and interface converters. These offerings serve diverse applications like business VoIP, cloud telephony, video conferencing, IoT, and industrial automation. To connect with local-market requirements, Patton operates training and support centers in Switzerland, Hungary, Lebanon, India, Vietnam, and the USA.
MCG Surge Protection Inc., founded in 1967 and headquartered in Long Island, New York, is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of surge protection devices. Its product portfolio includes AC, DC, and data line surge protectors used in applications such as smart house, manufacturing plant, and control cabinet surge protection. In 1977, the company introduced AC power line protectors, with the P440, P220, and P110 models being among the first AC power line protectors to be enclosed in NEMA enclosures. In 1988, its products were Ul-1449 listed, and in 1999, the company began offering a twenty-year warranty.
PolyPhaser Corporation, a subsidiary of Infinite Electronics, is a surge protection and lighting products manufacturer based in Hayden, Idaho, USA, and established in 1979. The company produces radio frequency (RF) filtering products for removing unwanted signals or noise from RF system transmissions and grounding products for ensuring optimal bonding and grounding of RF structures or equipment. It also offers RF surge protectors for protecting RF equipment from surges caused by power interruptions or lightning. The company’s products are used in the telecom, defense, and broadcast industries.
The Central Semiconductor Corporation is an ISO 9001:2015-certified electronics manufacturer in Hauppauge, NY. Since it was founded in 1974, the corporation has expanded to serve the global market. Its main product line is discrete semiconductors. All products are RoHS2 and REACH compliant. The corporation also manufactures diodes, rectifiers, transistors, and protection devices. Central Semiconductor provides semiconductor solutions for several industries including alternative energy, consumer products, scientific/industrial, networking, lighting, and the medical industry.
Bourns, Inc. is a family-owned company founded in 1947 and currently headquartered in Riverside, California. Bourns is a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of electronic components for several industries including automotive, industrial, instrumentation, medical, consumer, and portable electronics. Bourns operates in 4 market segments: automotive, circuit protection, power conversion, and sensing. The automotive segment produces sensors for almost every use in vehicles including steering, stability, fuel management, and temperature control. Power conversion segment products are used in renewable energy and automotive power. Sensing products are also used in heavy equipment, medical equipment, and welding equipment.
Littelfuse founded in 1927, is an industrial manufacturing company empowering a sustainable, connected, and safer world, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The company's product portfolio includes the solutions for both individual and entire systems, as a global manufacturer of technologies in circuit protection, power control, and sensing. Across more than 20 countries, and with approximately 18,000 global associates, partner with customers to design and deliver advanced solutions. Serving over 100,000 end customers, their products are found in industrial, transportation, and electronics end markets.
Microsemi Corporation was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California. Microsemi is a subsidiary of Microchip Technology Incorporated. Microsemi is a provider of semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace, communications, data center, and industrial markets. A few of Microsemi’s product lines include high-performance and radiation-hardened analog mixed-signal integrated circuits, FPGAs, power management products, timing and synchronization devices, and RF solutions. Microsemi’s technological strengths are in connectivity, energy efficiency, miniaturization, power management, and security.
Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc. was founded in Mannheim, Germany in 1945 developing the forerunner of the proximity switch. Pepperl+Fuchs continues to develop proximity sensors as well as other industrial sensors including ultrasonic sensors, rotary encoders, positioning systems, display and signal processing, vibration monitoring, industrial communication, and signal processing as well as related accessories and software. Explosive protection products include safety barriers, surge protection, wireless solutions, HMI systems, power supplies, electrical explosion protection equipment, level measurement, and related software.
PD&E Electronics, established in 1967 and based in North Hampton, New Hampshire, is a custom manufacturer and supplier of electronic components for commercial, general industries, and military applications. The company’s production line includes relays, sensors, flashers, and custom assemblies, including products such as cartridge replacements, doublers, voltage monitors, current monitors, and frequency monitors. The company has a rectifier production line which includes rectifier modules, stack, discrete, high voltage, and high power rectifiers. PD&E is also an electronics components service provider offering customers prototyping, designing, testing, and sampling capabilities.
Computer Air/Power Systems, Inc. (CAPS), founded in 1982 and headquartered in Campbell, CA, is a sales and services provider of power systems. The company offers a comprehensive product line of 136 products, including UPS systems, standby diesel generators, battery banks, Emergency Lighting Inverters, power conditioning equipment, software & ancillaries. Their comprehensive product line covers power solutions for mitigating harmonics, power distribution, and monitoring, serving industries like finance, telecommunications, IT, retail, healthcare, and more. Their manufacturers include Eaton, Toshiba, and Schneider Electric, among others, and they have completed around 1.5 K projects.
Rochester Electronics, LLC is a manufacturer stocking distributor of end-of-life semiconductors and the broadest range of active semiconductors that is headquartered in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and was founded in 1981. The company caters to manufacturing services ranging from design, wafer processing, testing, reliability, and IP Archiving. These specifically include OCM, build-to-order products, process flows, and standard packaging creation. The company pivots on manufacturing and distributing semiconductors that are no longer produced by its original manufacturer.
Sankosha U.S.A., Inc. is based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, USA, and is a manufacturer of gas discharge tube surge arresters and conductive concrete ground beds established in 1993 as a subsidiary of the Japanese company Sankosha. The company primarily produces gas discharge tube surge arresters for providing protection from high voltages caused by lightning. It also offers its San-Earth brand grounding cement which serves as a conductive concrete ground enhancer. The company’s products are commonly used in industrial and municipal building or construction projects.
Exponential Power has roots dating back to 1915 and began with the merger of Storage Battery Systems and Summit Power Systems in 2014, and is now headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Exponential Power is a distributor of stored power solutions, serving offshore, telecom, energy-services, utilities, energy, data centers, motive power, material handling, distribution, and manufacturing industries. Exponential Power provides batteries, battery backs, power systems, battery cabinets, UPS, as well as other products. Exponential Power offers services such as installation, maintenance, repair, and rental equipment.
SF Cable Inc., established in 2002 and based in San Francisco, California, is a wholesale supplier of electronic products like power cables, adapters, and fiber optic products. The company has an inventory of over 8,000 items and accepts purchase orders from organizations such as government agencies, hospitals, and universities. Since it does not accept middlemen, the company offers wholesale prices and additional discounts on volume orders, and all adapters, cables, and non-electronic products come with a lifetime guarantee. The company sources its products from ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturers and donates 2% of its net profits yearly to a cancer-related non-profit.
PANJIT was founded in 1986 in Taiwan as a manufacturer of semiconductors. Their product portfolio includes Power Management IC such as Flyback Controller/Active Bridge Controller for various circuit structures and applications. They also produce Low/Medium/High voltage MOSFETs and Schottky Rectifiers for improved power efficiency, low leakage of current, and stability. The SiC Devices are similar to third-generation semiconductors and there is also manufacturing of Diodes, Transistors, Bridges, and Protection Devices. These products are applicable in the Computing, Automotive, Communication, Consumer, and Power industries.
Nexperia is based in the Netherlands and is a designer, manufacturer, and global supplier of semiconductors. Their stock includes Bipolar Transistors, Diodes, MOSFETs, GaN FETs, and various ICs that are used as basic components in electronic systems and devices and have multiple applications. These parts are supplied to the automotive, computing, power, and electronic industries as parts of a system or as essential tools for various gadgets and devices. They are also used by manufacturers of consumer appliances such as smartphones, batteries, aerial vehicles, fire detectors, and more.
ARCoptix S.A is a manufacturer of optical measurement systems that was founded in 2005 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The company specializes in producing fourier transform infrared (FTIR) equipment and liquid crystal systems. Its products include FTIR spectrometers for analyzing organic and inorganic compounds, variable spiral plates capable of radial or azimuthal polarization, and modular gas analyzers for field measurement purposes. The company also offers product compatible software and accessories for added functionality, and OEM modules for customers with unique project specifications. Some of its notable clients include CERN, NASA, and the University of Tokyo.
WAGO was founded in Minden in 1951 in then West Germany. WAGO manufacturers components for the automotive, digital lant, elevator and escalator, energy, intralogistics, lighting, marine & offshore, mechanical engineering, and railway systems industries. WAGO produces, electrical interconnections such as rail mount terminal blocks, wire connectors, PCB interconnects, pluggable connection systems, panel feedthrough connections, and EMC shielding. Other types of products include relays, protection devices, fieldbus couplers, ethernet switches, touch panels, edge devices, and wireless devices.
Solid State Devices, Inc. (SSDI) is a manufacturer of electronic components and modules established 1967 and based in La Mirada, California, USA. The company’s products include thyristors used as switches in semiconductor applications, power modules for standard or hybrid power management applications in electronics, and power multipliers for different voltage ranges. It also offers components for electrical circuits, including suppressors, transistors, and rectifiers. The company is ISO 9001:2000-certified, and serves clients in the telecom, satellite manufacturing, and defense sectors.
ProTek Devices LP, founded in 1992, is a manufacturer of transient voltage suppressor (TVS) protection products based in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The company's lineup includes chipscale TVS arrays for high-density printed circuit boards, TVS arrays with electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection to safeguard electronic devices from voltage spikes and electromagnetic noise, as well as TVS diode arrays to provide protection for electronic circuits. It also offers high-powered components and modules for easier integration into circuits, along with thyristor surge suppressors. The company serves various industries, including automotive, medical, and telecommunications.
Define Instruments Inc. is a manufacturer of IIoT products that was established in 1990 in Dallas, Texas, USA. The company specializes in IIoT gateways, data loggers, signal conditioners, and related products. These products include its Nimbus brand processing interface, its Zen brand 16-channel remote terminal unit, and its Merlin brand universal input digital indicator. The company operates internationally, with an additional manufacturing facility located in Auckland, New Zealand. It mainly serves clients in the industrial automation, industrial manufacturing, and energy sectors.
Data Connect Enterprise is an ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018-certified networking products manufacturer that was established in Olney, Maryland, USA, in 1988. The company offers wireless products such as access points and bridges, networking devices including modems and routers, and power solutions such as uninterruptible power supplies and surge protectors. It also offers fiber optic, coaxial, and ethernet cable and harness assemblies. The company’s products are used mainly by clients in the ISP, telecom, and corporate sectors.
Advantech Co., Ltd., established in 1981 in Neihu District, Taipei, is a pioneering manufacturer and designer of a range of products, solutions, and services. The company boasts an extensive product portfolio that includes system integration, customer-centric design services, cutting-edge embedded systems, automation products, and global logistics support. Its aim is to usher in an era of an intelligent planet through its automation and embedded computing products and solutions. These diverse products and services empower smarter ways of working and living to enhance the quality of life and productivity across various industries.
Vaisala, established in 1936 in Finland, is a technology company that is a manufacturer of electronic measurement systems and equipment for meteorology, environmental sciences, traffic safety, and industry worldwide. The Company's products include radiosondes, barometric pressure measurements, weather stations, lighting detection systems, and moisture measurement solutions. Vaisala also sells a large selection of its products directly to consumers via the company's online store. The company also provides commercial clients with the XWeather subscription service, which offers numerous options for industrial-grade environmental measurement.
Electro Standards Laboratories is a designer and manufacturer of electronic data acquisition and communication products that was established in 1976 in Cranston, Rhode Island, USA. The company’s product lineup includes linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs), load cells, and strain gages for collecting and processing data from sensors. It also offers network converters and switches for enabling and protecting data transmissions over fiber optic networks. The company’s products are used mainly by clients in the defense, telecommunication, and public utilities sectors.
Semtech, established in 1960 and headquartered in Camarillo, California, is a semiconductor manufacturer specializing in the catering of solutions for wireless and wired communication, IoT, and sensing applications. The company has over 7,000 employees and operates in more than 20 countries. The company's products are used in several applications, including industrial automation, medical devices, telecommunications, and consumer electronics. Semtech's astute research and development milestones have been recognized through multiple awards and global partnerships reminiscent of their contribution to the advancement of technology.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Sine Control Technology Inc., founded in the late 1970s and headquartered in Seal Beach, California, is a manufacturer of transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS). Its POWERCLAMP Surge Protective Devices feature advanced hybrid technology, providing a low clamping level to effectively counter power line surges and spikes, which can harm sensitive electronic systems. These products are crucial for shielding computers, servers, audio-video gear, and more from damage caused by power line spikes. The TVSS finds applications in diverse settings like hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants, and defense installations.
Lightning Protection Corporation, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Goleta, California, is a manufacturer of lightning and surge protective devices (SPDs). The company's product range includes absorbers, arresters, filters, spark gaps, and suppresors, which serves industries such as aerospace, AC & DC power, broadcasting, communication, and electronics. Its products are utilized to safeguard electronic systems from voltage surges, lightning strikes, and electromagnetic interference across a wide spectrum of applications and industries.
Toshiba has nearly a century-and-a-half-long history of pioneering the development of electrical equipment in Japan, providing customers with products and services such as energy systems and solutions and infrastructure systems and solutions. With a focus on digital technologies, Toshiba boasts cutting-edge products in semiconductors, barcode printers, and rechargeable Lithium-ion battery cells, modules, and industrial pack series. With arms in business, R & D, AI, sustainability, and digital solutions, Toshiba and its people evolve with the times, ensuring its continuing ability to solve ever-changing social issues through constant change. By utilizing the knowledge that Toshiba has amassed across numerous business domains, along with cutting-edge technologies like IoT, AI, and quantum related technologies, they have created digital solutions that provide our customers with new value and services
Trex Semiconductor is a developer and manufacturer of integrated circuit (IC) products that was established in Tokyo, Japan, in 1995. The company offers voltage regulator ICs for providing stable voltage output from variable input voltage, DC/DC converter ICs for power management applications, and hall ICs for detecting magnetic fields and outputting digital signals. It also offers design and production services for custom orders or unique projects. The company mainly serves client OEMs in the automotive, consumer electronics, and power distribution industries.
American Distributors LLC (ADI) was founded in 1983 and has corporate offices in Randolph, New Jersey. ADI manufactures and distributes products for medical diagnostics, industrial usage, maritime usage, aerospace, and military. ADI is ISO 9001:2015 certified. ADI’s product line includes capacitors, chip resistors, coils, chocks, connectors, crystals, diodes, fans, filters, fuses, hardware & accessories, heat shrinkable tubing, inductors, integrated circuits, lamps & lighting development, networks equipment, Parylene coating, relays, resistors, semiconductors, IC sockets & terminals, switches, transistors, and wire & cable.
ROHM Semiconductor was incorporated in 1940 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. ROHM manufactures and sells electronic components worldwide. ROHM operates through the segments ICs, discrete semiconductor devices, and modules. ROHM provides ICs comprising memory, amplifiers and linear, power management, clocks and timers, switches and multiplexers, logic, data converters, sensors and MEMS, display drivers, motor/actuator drivers, interfaces, communication and speech synthesis LSI, audio and video, and microcontrollers. ROHM also offers discrete semiconductor products include MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, and diodes; power devices, including power transistors and diodes, SiC power devices, IGBT, and IPM; passive devices, such as resistors, and conductive polymer and tantalum capacitors; and various modules among others.
Richardson RFPD, based in Geneva, Illinois, is an electronic component distributor that became a subsidiary of Arrow Electronics in 2011. The company stocks products such as antennas, power supplies, and ICs, and its engineering team brings together over 600 years of combined design experience in IoT product development, wireless, and RF, making it competent from conception to production. The company is ISO 9001 certified and has three international distribution hubs in Asia, Europe, and North America. It sells products from several brands, including Advanced Thermal Solutions, Empower RF Systems Inc., and Carlisle Interconnect Technologies.
Black Box is headquartered in Texas, USA, and is an ISO 9001-certified distributor of IT products originally founded in 1976 as Expandor, Inc. before rebranding in 1982. The company's products include various cable management, video, and networking products. It also stocks touchscreens, cabinets, and environmental monitoring devices for ensuring sound installation of its products. The company mainly markets to government offices, educational institutions, and manufacturing facilities. It provides additional consultation, installation, and maintenance services for customers with unique projects.
Hybrid Electronics is a global distribution specialist of electronic components, with access to over 50 million unique components. Among the markets HE serves are the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense, industrial, medical, national security, and test & measurement industries. In addition to components, HE also provides quality and compliance testing, counterfeit detection, upscreening, and other forms of quality control. Examples of component subtypes that HE offers include ICs, batteries, capacitors, semiconductor products, sensors, circuit protection, interconnectors, filters, optoelectronics, relays, switches, power supplies, and cables and cable assemblies.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | PD&E Electronics |
6.4%
|
2 | Exponential Power |
6.4%
|
3 | WAGO GmbH & Co. KG |
6.4%
|
4 | Computer Air/Power Systems, Inc. |
5.6%
|
5 | Lightning Protection Corp. |
5.6%
|
6 | Patton Electronics Co. |
4.8%
|
7 | Central Semiconductor |
4.8%
|
8 | Bourns, Inc |
4.8%
|
9 | Semtech |
4.0%
|
10 | Littelfuse |
4.0%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the transient voltage surge suppressor page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 18 | 72.0% |
Japan | 3 | 12.0% |
Taiwan | 1 | 4.0% |
Netherlands | 1 | 4.0% |
Switzerland | 1 | 4.0% |
Germany | 1 | 4.0% |