In lighting systems, surges and electrostatic discharge (ESD) are common electrical threats that can damage luminaires, controllers, or drive circuits. Common lighting systems include traffic lights, smart lamps, landscape lights, solar lights, and street light controllers. What surge and ESD risks do they face? How can they be protected against?

I. Main Sources of Risk

1. Surge

  • External sources: Lightning strikes, grid switching, large load start-up and shutdown.
  • Internal sources: Transient voltage generated by the switching of other devices in the same circuit.
  • Impact: Damage to sensitive components such as LED driver ICs, power modules, and control chips.

2. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

  • Sources: Human contact, friction in dry environments, installation and maintenance processes.
  • Impact: Damage to low-power semiconductor devices such as microcontrollers, communication interfaces (e.g., UART, I²C), and sensors.

II. Risk Analysis and Semiware Protection Solutions for Various Lighting Systems

🚦 Traffic Lighting

Risk AreaRisksSemiware Protection Solutions  
AC 220V Input• Lightning induced surges
• Grid switching transients
• High energy damage to PFC/DC-DC		SG2R08B600A (GDT)
Discharges main surge energy (20kA).

SG2R08B600 (GDT)
Discharges common-mode interference (10kA).

14D561K (Varistor)
Parallel after GDTs. Clamps residual voltage to protect downstream.
LED Screen• Reverse high voltage from open-circuit LEDs
• ESD injection from panel		PLED06F (LED Protector)
Series or Parallel with each LED string.
Prevents overvoltage breakdown when an LED opens.

📌 Summary: GDT + MOV withstands front-end surges, PLED06F protects against end-end overvoltages

Circuit Layout

How to Protect Lighting Systems from Surge and ESD Damage-Protection Devices-TVS Diodes-ESD Protection devices-Gas Discharge Tube-Thyristor-Pled Protectors-Mov

💡 Smart Lamps 

Risk Area RisksSemiware Protection Solutions
Battery ManagementOver-current/Short-circuit during charging/dischargingSNM8810 (Dual N-MOSFET)
Controls charging/discharging path; provides low Rds(on) switching & over-current protection.
Touch Screen InterfaceDirect human contact ESDSE10F10B5.0A (ESD Diode)
Placed on touch signal lines.
Handles ±15kV ESD with optimized capacitance (15pF) for stable touch response.
LED Driver OutputOpen-circuit LED string high voltage spikePLED06F (LED Protector)
Clamps voltage instantly if an LED opens to protect the driver IC.
USB• High-voltage ESD from user devices/cables
• Data line signal distortion due to high capacitance		SE41T06U5.0LB (ESD Diode)
Ultra-low capacitance (2pF) ensures high-speed data integrity while blocking ±20kV ESD.

📌 Summary: This solution manages battery charging and discharging safety by integrating dual N-channel MOSFETs, and deploys ultra-low capacitance ESD diodes and LED protectors for USB, touch screen and LED output terminals respectively, to comprehensively resist electrostatic discharge, signal interference and open circuit high voltage risks.

Circuit Layout

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☀️ Solar Lighting 

Risk Area RisksSemiware Protection Solutions
PV Panel Input • Lightning-induced surges
• Load dump transients
• Reverse polarity spikes		SVC500B30 (Bidirectional TVS)
Ideal for AC or fluctuating DC lines; handles 5000W surge power at 30V.

5KP30A (Unidirectional TVS)
Optimized for stable DC bus protection; clamps positive surges efficiently at 30V
LEDOpen-circuit LED failure causing high voltage spikePLED Series Protectors
• PLED06F
• PLED09F
• PLED13F
Automatically shunts current if an LED opens, maintaining circuit continuity and protecting the driver.

📌 Summary: This solar lighting solution utilizes high-power TVS diodes to construct a dual surge protection system at the front end, resisting lightning strikes and grid fluctuations; at the back end, PLED series protectors are flexibly configured for different types of light strings to ensure stable system operation and extend the life of the lamps.

Circuit Layout

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For street light controllers and landscape lighting systems, we adopted a proven traffic lighting protection solution.

By integrating gas discharge tubes (GDTs), varistors (MOVs), and PLED protectors, we have created a comprehensive protection system from front-end lightning protection to back-end load protection. For detailed reference designs, please visit our website.👇

https://en.semiware.com/application/lighting

Summary

Semiware's meticulously designed protection schemes ensure your lighting system remains stable, safe, and reliable under all conditions. Contact us to discuss your design needs or request a free sample for testing. 👉 https://en.semiware.com/contact/