July 9, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Nexperia has launched the industry’s first ESD protection diodes specifically developed for 48 V automotive data lines, addressing a long-standing gap in electrostatic protection for next-generation EV and HEV communication networks.

The new AEC-Q101 qualified portfolio includes six ESD diodes supporting reverse working voltages (VRWM) of 54 V, 60 V, and 72 V. Designed to meet the needs of increasingly common 48 V electrical architectures, these components reduce PCB footprint and system costs while preserving signal integrity in high-speed communication protocols such as CAN-FD.

Despite the long-standing use of protocols like CAN, LIN, and FlexRay in automotive networks, their adoption continues in electric vehicles, which are shifting away from traditional 12 V and 24 V batteries in favor of more efficient 48 V systems. Until now, engineers had to rely on suboptimal protection methods, such as integrating a separate 12 V rail or paralleling multiple 36 V diodes, to protect communication lines against ESD.

“With this release, we enable efficient, space-saving protection for modern automotive systems operating at 48 V,” said Alexander Benedix, Head of Product Group Protection and Filtering at Nexperia.

The ultra-low capacitance design (down to 3.4 pF) ensures minimal signal distortion, and the use of the popular SOT23 package facilitates seamless integration into existing automotive platforms.

For more details, visit: Nexperia.com/can-fd