Semtech has introduced the TDS2621LP, the latest addition to its SurgeSwitch family of protection devices, purpose-built for 24V DC power buses used in industrial robotics, collaborative robots (cobots), and automated manufacturing. The device delivers near-constant clamping voltage, meaning it consistently caps voltage spikes at a predictable level, complies with the IEC 61000-4-5 surge protection standard, and comes in a compact 1.6 mm² footprint, replacing bulkier conventional industrial protection components.
As robotic systems shrink and move closer to human workers on factory floors, safety-critical input/output modules face a harsher environment for electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical surges. Inductive loads, such as servo motors, electromagnetic brakes, and pneumatic solenoids, generate high-energy voltage transients directly on the 24V DC power bus feeding sensitive control circuitry each time they switch on or off, something that can happen thousands of times per work shift. Conventional transient voltage suppression (TVS) diodes tend to see their clamping voltage rise as peak pulse current increases, and that voltage can also shift across the industrial temperature range, making protection margins unpredictable and forcing designers to over-specify downstream components just to stay safe.
Tamir Reshef, vice president of marketing and applications for Semtech's analog and mixed-signal products group, said that as robots and cobots pack more electronics into smaller spaces, the margin for protection error shrinks even as the amount of transient energy on the 24V bus grows. He said the TDS2621LP addresses both the density and footprint challenges by maintaining near-constant clamping voltage even at full pulse current, giving robotics system designers predictable protection headroom.
The TDS2621LP is built on Semtech's established SurgeSwitch architecture, which improves on the conventional PN-junction approach used in standard TVS diodes by instead using a surge-rated field-effect transistor (FET) operating as a precision, voltage-controlled switch. Unlike conventional TVS diodes, SurgeSwitch offers a uniform clamping voltage of 35V at 24A (measured using an 8/20 microsecond pulse waveform standard for surge testing), with a dynamic resistance of just 32 mΩ maintained across the full range of pulse current.
Semtech is positioning the TDS2621LP for a range of applications, including cobot joint electronics and controller boards, industrial robot input line protection, power buses in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), PLC I/O modules and fieldbus interfaces such as PROFIBUS, EtherCAT, and IO-Link, distributed control cabinets, 24V actuator and solenoid valve driver boards in factory automation, industrial sensor power lines and smart sensor nodes, VBUS power lines in USB Type-C industrial ports, and IoT edge devices running on 24V DC infrastructure.
On specifications, the device has a maximum working voltage of 26.4V, matched to the upper tolerance range for 24V DC systems under the IEC standard, and a peak pulse current rating of 24A using the same 8/20 microsecond waveform specified in IEC 61000-4-5. Maximum clamping voltage is 35V at 24A, with dynamic resistance of 32 mΩ. The device comes in a DFN package with a 1.6 mm² footprint and 2 leads.
The TDS2621LP is available now in production quantities, supplied on 7-inch tape-and-reel packaging with 3,000 units per reel. Samples and evaluation support are available through Semtech's authorized distribution partners, as well as for direct purchase through Semtech's website.
Customers and partners are invited to visit Semtech at Booth #H3.G11 during Electronica India 2026, taking place September 16-18 in Bengaluru, to learn more about the product lineup and meet with Semtech's technical experts.
