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RF Input ESD protection

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 4:05 am
by AB1RW
What sort of ESD protection does the RF front end have? This is a mystery board with mystery components. I'd expect that a longwire outdoors in dry winter conditions should get the usual Neon light and 100K resistor treatment. Will the input survive the 90-100V breakdown voltage of a neon, or should we go for a fast PIN diode?

-- Jim (ab1rw, medford mass.)

Re: RF Input ESD protection

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:31 am
by michalwu
Hi

I'd like to know this as well.

m.

Re: RF Input ESD protection

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:08 am
by Tech_Support
The RSP has been designed to survive a typical ESD event and has been tested to over 8kV Human Body Model. The Human Body Model discharges a 100pF capacitor through a 1.5kohm series resistor. So, 90-100v is no problem whatsoever. What does matter is the series impedance of the energy source and the duration of the discharge event as these define the total power applied to these input diodes. It is ultimately the heat associated with the power dissipation that destroys the diodes not the applied voltage as such. It is hard to be precise about what this might be, but in our experience a normal ESD event should to result in damage to these devices. A direct lightning strike or the inadvertent application of substantial amounts of RF power from a transmitter will most likely destroy the unit as the power density melts the protection diodes rendering them a short circuit.

Sincerely

SDRplay Tech_Support