Surge, noise, and harmonic countermeasures

This page introduces lightning surge and harmonic countermeasures for AC adapters. We offer high withstand voltage models that comply with IEC61000 and guarantee up to 10kV lightning surge protection. Custom power supply solutions are also available, including support for adding varistors or arresters to the circuit board.

We support surge and noise protection for AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount. We can perform various in-house tests to verify effectiveness.

What is a lightning surge?

How do you handle equipment failures caused by lightning?

When lightning strikes near a structure, it can cause high voltage to flow through nearby power lines and other conductors.
This high voltage is commonly referred to as a "lightning surge." The high voltage can travel through power lines and enter household outlets, potentially damaging home electronics that aren't designed to withstand the surge, causing malfunctions or complete failure.

Simply withstanding a lightning surge is not enough.
Damage from lightning surges can cause AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount to malfunction, failing to stop operation at the right moment and continuing to run, which can result in smoke, fire, and entry into dangerous conditions. This is why safety must be taken into account during the design phase to prevent such secondary damage.

Unifive is capable of meeting diverse customer requirements for custom power supplies to prevent equipment damage from lightning surges.

Custom support for lightning surges

Typical AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount are designed to meet level 2 or 3 of the IEC61000-4-5 standard for surge protection. However, based on client needs, we can also handle products rated for 10KV surge protection, as certain industries require high-voltage-resistant AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount.

Lightning surge testing standards vary, from general ones defined by IEC or JEC to specialized methods based on ITU-T standards used in the telecommunications industry.

Depending on the business type—such as producers of household appliances, telecommunications or CATV equipment, sound systems, or audio equipment—we receive many requests from clients needing surge-resistant AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount, because equipment failure caused by lightning surge is unacceptable. Custom responses are provided in such cases. However, different equipment setups result in varying ground conditions on the secondary side and differing surge entry points, so great care must be taken during customization to account for these differences.

For these reasons, custom surge protection solutions often involve close collaboration with clients. Unifive is capable of providing a wide variety of AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount.

In common customization cases, we often propose "modifications" of Unifive's AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount by adding parts like varistors or arresters to the basic circuit board. However, we also provide solutions that involve creating entirely new custom circuit boards, resulting in a wide range of options.

Compliance with latest harmonic current regulations

We can also provide AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount that comply with harmonic current regulations. We have experience developing power supplies meeting the latest harmonics regulations (for 5W and above) promoted by the Japan Lighting Manufacturers Association.

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