Characterization of Surge Suppression Devices in a Single Non-Destructive Measurement Process Using a Pulse Transmission Line Tester

A non-destructive testing method is described to evaluate in a single measurement process two parameters of protection devices against surge transient (SPD): the parasitic capacitance and the protection voltage. This simple test allows to evaluate the effectiveness of the protection system designed for a specific network, as well as executing periodic maintenance tasks to check the status of the SPD. These tests are performed using a transmission line pulse tester (TLP), giving a new application to this instrument mainly used to evaluate the behavior of integrated circuits under electrostatic discharges.