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How Do Metal Oxide Varistors Work?

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 A Metal Oxide Varistor MOV is a blue or orange-coloured circular component that can be easily seen in any AC to DC Power Supply Circuit. The word “Varistor” is a combination of words VARI-able resi-STOR. So, the Metal Oxide Varistor can be considered as another type of variable resistor whose resistance changes based on the voltage across it. Hence, It shows non-linear volt-ampere characteristics. When a voltage higher than the threshold voltage is applied across a MOV, its resistance value decreases and it acts as a short circuit. Generally, MOVs are used in parallel with a fuse, to protect circuits from high-voltage spikes. It is known by the name of MOV when metal alloy granules are used whereas another type of varistor that is now widely used has Zn (Zinc) as the main material and it is called ZOV.  Construction of MOV A varistor is made from ceramic, powders of metal oxides like zinc oxide and other oxides of cobalt, manganese, bismuth, etc. A MOV is composed primarily of zinc o
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How Do SMD Leds Work? How to Use It and What Distinguishes SMD from COB Led

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Using through hole components can be tiring especially when components need repeated mounting/dismounting such as LEDs and capacitors. This is where surface mounted technology (SMT) comes in handy. A surface mounted device (SMD) can be easily secured on any PCB by the means of solder. This tech is becoming the industry standard and has largely replaced the through hole technology.  There is a variety of SMDs that are in prevalent use but in this article, we are most interested in SMD LEDs, their testing, application and difference between them and COB LEDs. What is a SMD LED? Surface-Mount Device, Light-Emitting Diode, or SMD LED , is a category of LED that is distinguished by having a 3 in 1 encapsulation, or integrating all three colours (Red, Green, and Blue) in a single system. SMD LEDs are currently the most used type of LED on the market. The large-scale production of manufacturers has made it the cheapest kind of LED available in the market at the moment.  SMD LED structure and
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