X Capacitor Discharge ICs Certified for IEC/EN 62368-1

IEC 62368-1 and EN 62368-1 are new over-arching safety standards covering TVs and IT equipment. IEC/EN 62368-1 replaces IEC/EN 60950 and IEC/EN 60065 and will become mandatory. Power Integrations' CAPZero  family of, two-terminal, automatic X-capacitor discharge ICs has been certified to meet these new standards, enabling power supplies to comply with safety standards while eliminating power losses.

CAPZero ICs are smart, high-voltage switches that are placed in series with the resistors used to provide a safe discharge path for a power supply's X capacitor. Without this switching mechanism, these discharge resistors cause a constant power drain while AC is connected and therefore contribute significantly to no-load and standby input power consumption. CAPZero X-capacitor discharge ICs block current flow to the discharge resistors when AC voltage is applied, cutting the power wasted in these components to zero. When the AC voltage is disconnected, CAPZero automatically and safely discharges the X capacitor by closing the circuit and directing the energy away from the exposed AC plug.