Fuse protects power line circuits by physically shutting them down when they are in an over-current state. And you replace the fuse. So far so fine.
But, it can be tiring and expensive, if you have to buy fuse regularly especially during the rainy seasons. You may have wished for a reusable fuse sometimes.
Your desire for a reusable fuse is a reality now.
Japanese major Toshiba has launched the “TCKE8xx series,” its first-ever eFuse ICs, a lineup of six products that support various functions needed for circuit protection in power supply lines.
The most remarkable feature of the eFuse ICs is that they can be used repeatedly. Conventional physical fuses—glass tube fuses and chip fuse–needed to be replaced once broken. eFuse IC products use their own circuitry to shut power lines down when an abnormality occurs, and can be reset and reused.
Another advantage is that eFuse ICs eliminate complex circuit design and a number of components, realizing much simpler circuit designs with fewer components and a smaller area than a protection function secured with discrete parts, according to the company release.
The new series realizes highly robust circuit protection by raising over-current detection accuracy to a level beyond that of physical fuses. Since the eFuse ICs also have current clamp and voltage clamp to protect against over-current and over-voltage, they can protect circuits and maintain power supply by clamping voltage and current at specified values, even when excess over-current or over-voltage is applied. Their over-temperature and short-circuit protection functions protect circuits by instantly shutting off in the event of extreme overheating, or unexpected short circuiting.
The product lineup offers two types of product: an auto-retry type that allows the eFuse to automatically recover the circuit itself, and a latch type that is recovered by an external signal. Customers can select the appropriate eFuse IC product for their requirements and the size of their equipment.
