Treating VGA Circuits for Shock

Electrostatic discharge can wreak havoc on just about any computing device. Whether the charge is rooted in the fact that you pace around on the carpet or is inherent in the system, the result is the same: fried components. California Micro Devices thinks it has a solution to this shocking problem - at least for VGA ports - in the PACVGA105 port protector. The PACVGA105 incorporates 7 channels of ESD protection for signal lines commonly found in a VGA port for PCs. ESD protection is implemented with current steering diodes designed to handle the peak surge currents associated with the IEC-1000-4-2 Level 4 ESD requirements (8kV contact discharge). When the channels are subjected to electrostatic discharge, the ESD current pulse is diverted via the protection diodes into the positive supply rails or ground to dissipate. The PACVGA105 is available in a 16-lead QSOP package. Pricing in 100K quantities is $0.64.