Robust and reliable bus node design often requires
the use of external transient protection devices to protect against surge transients
that may occur in industrial environments. Since these transients have a wide
frequency bandwidth (from approximately 3MHz to 300MHz), high-frequency layout
techniques should be applied during PCB design.
- Place the protection
circuitry close to the bus connector to prevent noise transients from
propagating across the board.
- Use VCC and ground
planes to provide low inductance. Note that high-frequency currents tend to
follow the path of least impedance and not the path of least
resistance.
- Place F_SET components near
the pin to keep capacitance load below recommended value
- Use a pull up or down
resistor on mode to set a default state
- Apply 100nF to 220nF decoupling capacitors as close as
possible to the VCC pins of transceiver, UART and/or controller
ICs on the board.
- Use at least two vias for
VCC and ground connections of decoupling capacitors and
protection devices to minimize effective via inductance.
- Use 1kΩ to 10kΩ pull-up and
pull-down resistors for enable lines to limit noise currents in these lines
during transient events.
- Insert pulse-proof resistors
into the A and B bus lines if the TVS clamping voltage is higher than the
specified maximum voltage of the transceiver bus pins. These resistors limit
the residual clamping current into the transceiver and prevent it from
latching up.
- While pure TVS protection is
sufficient for surge transients up to 1kV, higher transients require
metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) which reduce the transients to a few hundred
volts of clamping voltage, and transient blocking units (TBUs) that limit
transient current to less than 1mA.