20
FN4910.21
February 22, 2010
±15kV ESD Protection
All pins on ICL32XX devices include ESD protection
structures, but the ICL32xxE family incorporates
advanced structures which allow the RS-232 pins
(transmitter outputs and receiver inputs) to survive ESD
events up to ±15kV. The RS-232 pins are particularly
vulnerable to ESD damage because they typically
connect to an exposed port on the exterior of the finished
product. Simply touching the port pins, or connecting a
cable, can cause an ESD event that might destroy
unprotected ICs. These new ESD structures protect the
device whether or not it is powered up, protect without
allowing any latch-up mechanism to activate, and don’t
interfere with RS-232 signals as large as ±25V.
Human Body Model (HBM) Testing
As the name implies, this test method emulates the ESD
event delivered to an IC during human handling. The
tester delivers the charge through a 1.5kΩ current
limiting resistor, making the test less severe than the
IEC61000 test which utilizes a 330Ω limiting resistor. The
HBM method determines an IC’s ability to withstand the
ESD transients typically present during handling and
manufacturing. Due to the random nature of these
events, each pin is tested with respect to all other pins.
The RS-232 pins on “E” family devices can withstand
HBM ESD events to ±15kV.
IEC61000-4-2 Testing
The IEC61000 test method applies to finished
equipment, rather than to an individual IC. Therefore,
the pins most likely to suffer an ESD event are those that
are exposed to the outside world (the RS-232 pins in this
case), and the IC is tested in its typical application
configuration (power applied) rather than testing each
pin-to-pin combination. The lower current limiting
resistor coupled with the larger charge storage capacitor
yields a test that is much more severe than the HBM test.
The extra ESD protection built into this device’s RS-232
pins allows the design of equipment meeting level 4
criteria without the need for additional board level
protection on the RS-232 port.
AIR-GAP DISCHARGE TEST METHOD
For this test method, a charged probe tip moves toward
the IC pin until the voltage arcs to it. The current
waveform delivered to the IC pin depends on approach
speed, humidity, temperature, etc., so it is difficult to
obtain repeatable results. The “E” device RS-232 pins
withstand ±15kV air-gap discharges.
CONTACT DISCHARGE TEST METHOD
During the contact discharge test, the probe contacts the
tested pin before the probe tip is energized, thereby
eliminating the variables associated with the air-gap
discharge. The result is a more repeatable and
predictable test, but equipment limits prevent testing
devices at voltages higher than ±8kV. All “E” family
devices survive ±8kV contact discharges on the RS-232
pins.
53.3
Compatible with ACT and
HCT CMOS, and with TTL.
ICL32XX outputs are
incompatible with AC, HC,
and CD4000 CMOS inputs.
TABLE 4. LOGIC FAMILY COMPATIBILITY WITH
VARIOUS SUPPLY VOLTAGES (Continued)
SYSTEM
POWER-SUPPLY
VOLTAGE
(V)
VCC
SUPPLY
VOLTAGE
(V)
COMPATIBILITY
Typical Performance Curves V
CC = 3.3V, TA = +25°C.
FIGURE 13. TRANSMITTER OUTPUT VOLTAGE vs
LOAD CAPACITANCE
FIGURE 14. SLEW RATE vs LOAD CAPACITANCE
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
0
LOAD CAPACITANCE (pF)
TR
ANS
MITTER
OUTPUT
V
O
LT
AGE
(V
)
1 TRANSMITTER AT 250kbps
VOUT+
VOUT -
1 OR 2 TRANSMITTERS AT 30kbps
LOAD CAPACITANCE (pF)
SLE
W
RA
TE
(
V
/s
)
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
5
10
15
20
25
+SLEW
-SLEW
ICL3221E, ICL3222E, ICL3223E, ICL3232E, ICL3241E, ICL3243E