Shunt protectors tout up to 18V off-state voltage

Bourns Inc. has unleashed the Model LSPxxxxAJR Series LED shunt protectors for the LED lighting market. According to the company, the devices feature fast switching, automatic reset and surge protection.

In LED lighting applications, solid-state lighting luminaires are commonly configured with long strings of multiple series LEDs driven from a relatively high voltage compliance, constant current power supply. In that configuration, an open LED will cause a complete LED string to go dark, rendering the application useless or markedly compromised. This can lead to warranty returns or maintenance calls, stated Bourns.

While low power LED string designs may have used zener diodes in LED lighting applications, high power LEDs would require very large and expensive zener diodes. Placing the Bourns LSP device across LEDs allows the remaining LEDs in a series string to continue to work when an LED fails open circuit, noted the company.

The product line includes the LSP0600AJR-S, LSP0900AJR-S, LSP1300AJR-S and LSP1800AJR-S that deliver repetitive peak off-state voltage of 6V, 9V, 13V and 18V, respectively. The typical number of LEDs spanned for the devices are 1, 2, 3 and 4 for the shunt protectors, respectively. They come in SMA surface mount packages and are RoHS compliant and Pb Free.

The Model LSPxxxxAJR Series can be used in LED streetlights, LCD backlighting, display lighting and intrinsically safe lighting, added Bourns.