by Brianna Crandall — November 19, 2018 — Worldwide circuit protection provider Littelfuse recently introduced the PolySwitch setP Series Temperature Indicator, which protects the users of USB Type‑C and USB Power Delivery charging cables from dangerous overheating. The announcement was made at Electronica India, the International Trade Fair for Electronic Components, Systems and Applications, in Bengaluru (Bangalore), India.
Littelfuse’s PolySwitch setP Series Temperature Indicator protects users of USB Type‑C and USB Power Delivery charging cables from dangerous overheating. Image courtesy Littelfuse
When dust, dirt or other debris becomes trapped in a USB Type-C cable connector, it creates a resistive fault from the power line to ground, which can cause a dangerous temperature rise without increasing the current. The power-independent setP senses the temperature increase, alerting the charging port to shut down the power flow. Once the user disconnects the cable and removes the debris, the cable can resume normal operation.
According to Littelfuse, the compact 0805 (mils) footprint of the setP Temperature Indicator makes it at least 50 percent smaller than other solutions that require placing a device on the power line. Placing a protective device on the power line also reportedly contributes to power loss. The same setP software-enabled thermal protection device can be used to protect cables designed for 15W, 60W or 100W operation.
Typical applications for the setP Series Temperature Indicator include:
- USB Type-C connectors for charging cables for mobile and wearable devices
- Power supply with attached USB-C cable
Todd Phillips, global market manager, Electronics Business Unit at Littelfuse, remarked:
The setP offers the smallest, most energy-efficient solution available on the market, helping to provide protection against overheating. USB Type-C can support high power levels, which makes this protection solution especially important.
The setP Series Temperature Indicator offers these key benefits:
- The compact size and sensitivity to temperature helps to simplify keeping the cable surface temperatures safe for users.
- The rigid structure is compatible with conventional assembly and molding operations used in cable and connector manufacturing.
- Being independent of USB power delivery allows for a smaller footprint and greater energy efficiency and simplifies part selection.
- No disruption of the communication channel makes the setP an easy drop-in solution to existing designs.
The setP Series Temperature Indicator (part number SETP0805-100-SE) is available as a surface-mount device in tape and reel packaging in packs of 4,000 with a minimum order quantity of 20,000 pieces. Sample requests may be placed through authorized Littelfuse distributors worldwide.
Additional information is available on the setP Series Temperature Indicator product page.
