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Safety Certified capacitors are designed to withstand high impulse voltages in applications where human beings might be exposed to voltage surges. These capacitors will shunt the energy from the impulse to ground, protecting the circuit from the surge. Johanson Dielectrics offers Safety Capacitors certified to IEC384-14, EN132400 and IEC 60950.

Safety Capacitors are identified by their place in the circuit as either X capacitors or Y capacitors.

  • X Capacitor: A capacitor for use in situations where failure would not lead to danger of electric shock. This is also known as a line to line application.
  • Y Capacitor: A capacitor for use in situations where failure could lead to danger of electric shock. This is also known as a line to ground application.

The impulse capability of the part is indicated using a number from 1 to 3 as follows:

RatingRated Voltage ACDielectric Withstanding VoltageImpulse Voltage
Y2250VAC1500VAC at 60Hz5000V
Y3250VAC1500VAC at 60Hznone
X1250VAC1500VAC at 60Hz4000V
X2250VAC1500VAC at 60Hz2500V

The impulse waveform is as follows:

Bend Test 0805 Polyterm vs 0805 STD Term
Figure 1. Impulse Voltage Wave Form

The capacitor is subjected to 10 impulses of alternating polarity. The time T1 is known as the rise time, this is the time it takes the pulse to go from 10% to 90% of the peak voltage.

The T2 is known as time to half value and is the time it takes for the voltage to go from 50% of the peak back to same level.

In telecom applications the T1 = 10μ s and T2 = 700μ s (per IEC 60950)

In power mains applications the T1 = 1.2μ s and T2 = 50μ s (per IEC 60384-14)

Johanson Dielectrics Safety Capacitors meet both requirements.

The impulse voltage is applied using the circuit shown in Figure 2.

Impulse Test Circuit
Figure 2.

Safety Capacitors also have to pass an AC voltage endurance test for 1000 hours. The waveform is shown below in Figure 3.

Endurance Test Waveform
Figure 3. Endurance Test Waveform

Safety Capacitors are primarily used two applications:

  1. EMI filtering
  2. Insulation

EMI Filtering:

In this application the capacitors are used for filtering EMI on the input of a circuit, so the main function of the capacitor is EMI filtering. However, these capacitors bridge the isolation barrier so they have to be able to withstand high impulse voltages in case of a power surge.

Examples of this application:

  1. Capacitors connecting the Tip or Ring lines to ground in telecom applications to meet EN 55024 (using X2Y3 or X1Y2 ratings)
  2. Capacitors used to filter the input side of an AC to DC power supply (using X1Y2 ratings).

Safety Capacitor in Telecom 48V Application
Figure 4. Safety Capacitor in Telecom 48V Application

Figure 5. Safety Capacitor in AC/DC Power Supply
Figure 5. Safety Capacitor in AC/DC Power Supply

Insultion:

The capacitors are used for insulation between circuitry connected to the Telecom Network Voltage and any circuitry connected to protective earth. Johanson Dielectrics Safety Certified Capacitors fulfill Basic Insulation and Supplementary Insulation requirements of IEC 384-14 and IEC 60950. See Figure 6.

Basic Insulation and Supplementary Insulation requirements of IEC 384-14 and IEC 60950
Figure 6.