Bourns Targets Automotive Surge Protection Challenges with New MLV Series
As vehicles become more electrically complex, safeguarding sensitive systems from voltage transients remains a priority for design engineers. This week, Bourns introduced a new series of automotive-grade multilayer varistors (MLVs) designed to absorb higher levels of transient energy, addressing a key vulnerability in next-generation ECUs, infotainment units, and ADAS architectures.
The new MLVs are engineered to meet AEC-Q200 standards and offer enhanced surge handling compared to typical surface-mount protection components. They feature a multilayered ceramic construction that enables both low leakage current and high surge endurance in a compact footprint—attributes particularly relevant in applications with limited board real estate and strict thermal management requirements.
According to Bourns, the varistors cover a broad operating voltage range and are capable of protecting against transients from load dump, inductive switching, and other ESD-related events. Engineers working on high-density automotive boards may find value in these components where space-saving and robust protection must coexist.
This release also comes at a time when automotive electronics are seeing a surge in localized processing and communication interfaces, each requiring their own level of transient protection. While discrete protection strategies still dominate in high-risk areas, integrated approaches—like these high-energy-absorbing MLVs—are becoming increasingly attractive for distributed modules and zonal architectures.
By focusing on performance under real-world automotive conditions, Bourns is aiming to provide a drop-in solution that can reduce board complexity and increase protection margins without the need for bulky filtering.
