ESD protection on DS32ELX0421/0124

Hi Markus,

The DS32ELX0421/0124 SerDes chipset has internal ESD protection already to alleviate the need to provide additional external ESD protection.

However, if you choose to use external ESD protection, the parasitics of the ESD diode may create a bandwidth-limiting effect on the serial link. To minimize this loading, I recommend picking an ESD diode that has minimum loading capacitance (approx. 0.2-0.3 pF). One way to test this would be to find a similar-value cap to the parasitic capacitance of your ESD or TVS diode and determine whether it has adverse effects on the serial link (for example, eye closure or bit errors).

Thanks,

Michael