KYOCERA AVX has expanded its extensive portfolio of commercial surface-mount MLCCs with the release of its first safety- certified MLCCs, the new Class X1/Y2 KGK Series and Class X2 KGH Series.
Class-X and Class-Y safety-certified capacitors are designed to protect against surges and transients and provide EMI filtering AC line filtering applications. Class-X safety capacitors, which are also referred to as across-the- line capacitors, are placed between an AC line and neutral and designed to fail short, which will cause an overcurrent protective device like a fuse or circuit breaker to open and prevent any electrical shock hazards. Class-Y safety capacitors, which are also referred to as line-to-ground capacitors, are placed between the line and ground and are designed to fail open, which will allow noise and interference that the capacitor would typically filter but prevent any fatal electric shock hazards.
X1/Y2 safety capacitors like the new KGK Series can be used as an X1 capacitor in across-the-line applications or as a Y2 capacitor in line-to-ground applications. X2 safety capacitors like the new KGH Series are designed for direct connection across main voltages of 250VAC or more and reduce noise by reducing the device’s input impedance.