Electrical Specifications

The Need for EMI & ESD Protection

Inherent in the development of more plug-and-play devices with hot-plug capability is greater risk of system exposure to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD). Both of these phenomenon can cause transmission signal degradation, loss of data, system lock-up, and permanent hardware damage. As system circuitry has gotten more complex to accommodate faster transfer speeds and smaller package sizes, greater potential exists for damage from EMI and ESD occurrences. The USB 2.0 spec calls for EMI and ESD protection according to industry specifications. This protection has become more of a challenge as less space is available for components and smaller IC chips are more susceptible to low level damage.

A Better Solution...
Filtering at the Connector

Spectrum Control has developed a series of USB connectors that incorporates EMI and ESD filters into an industry standard USB package. By moving the EMI filtering or ESD protection to the USB connector, designers can free-up valuable PC board space for other components and provide better protection for the entire device. These connectors are drop-in replacements for unfiltered connectors making them ideal solutions for the ongoing miniaturization of peripheral devices. Spectrum’s EMI filtered and ESD protected USB connectors also can eliminate the need to redesign PC boards in the event of noncompliance during either EMC or ESD testing. Various models of these connectors meet the requirements of USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 specifications and all are RoHS compliant.