Choosing a TVS from a catalog means navigating power classes, voltage families and packages before the datasheet is even opened. Good-Ark’s TVS portfolio spans axial and surface-mount series from the small-signal protection end to the high-energy DO-201 and SMC classes, and the search starts with the rail voltage and the surge energy, not with a favorite series. This page maps the portfolio by power class, package and application so an engineer can move from the input specification to the right part-number family and its datasheet.
How the Good-Ark TVS portfolio is organized
The portfolio is organized by power class and package: axial series such as the 1.5KE range for higher-energy surges, surface-mount series in the DO-214 (SMA/SMB/SMC) family for board-level protection, and automotive-marked variants where the program requires AEC-grade documentation.
The catalog groups TVS products so the first question — how much pulse energy must the part absorb and in what package — selects the series. Axial parts such as the 1.5KE range bring higher thermal mass for larger surges; surface-mount parts such as the 1.5SMC family fit automated assembly with the board carrying the heat; and the voltage code in the part number identifies the stand-off or breakdown class. The portfolio structure mirrors the selection logic: identify the rail and the surge, choose the power class, then read the datasheet for the exact window. Part-number families such as GSMDJ and automotive variants are covered by their own series pages and datasheets, and this page provides the navigation between them.
Which power class fits which surge
The power class follows the surge waveform: small SMD parts cover board-level ESD and modest transients, the SMB/SMC classes cover industrial surges in the hundreds-of-watts range, and the larger axial classes cover the higher-energy events where more thermal mass is needed.
A TVS power rating is quoted against a defined pulse waveform, so the class is chosen from the surge the product must survive, not from the rail current. Board-level protection of interfaces and low-power inputs can use the smaller SMD classes; an industrial input absorbing a defined IEC surge needs a class whose pulse power at the waveform fits the event; and automotive load-dump or high-energy mains-coupled events push the selection to the larger classes. The package appears in the same decision because it is part of the thermal path: an SMD part relies on the board copper, while an axial part carries more thermal mass in its leads. The portfolio table below shows the classes and where each fits, with the exact part number confirmed on the datasheet.
Axial versus surface-mount TVS families
Axial TVS families suit higher-energy surges and through-hole assembly, while surface-mount families in DO-214 packages suit board-level protection and automated SMT lines — and the same voltage family can exist in both formats with different thermal behavior.
The axial format’s larger body and leads give it more thermal mass per event, which is why high-energy classes such as 1.5KE appear in axial packages. The surface-mount format moves the heat into the board through the solder and copper, so its capability depends on the PCB as much as on the part. A design that can accept through-hole assembly gets the axial family’s thermal headroom; a design that must run on an SMT line chooses the surface-mount family and sizes the board copper for the event. The portfolio keeps both formats because the assembly process and the thermal path are part of the selection, and the part-number search should include the package as a filter.
Voltage families and the part-number code
The voltage family is identified from the part number’s voltage code, and the actual window — stand-off, breakdown and clamping — is read from the datasheet, because the code tells you the class, not the complete protection window.
TVS part numbers carry a voltage designation that identifies the nominal stand-off or breakdown class, and series such as 1.5KE, 1.5SMC and the GSMDJ family each use their own code convention. The code is a navigation aid; the design decision uses the datasheet’s VRWM, VBR and VC values at the operating conditions. When comparing parts across series, compare the window at the same waveform and current rather than the code, because two parts with similar codes can have different clamping behavior. The portfolio page links each family to its datasheets so the code can be resolved into a full specification before the BOM is written.
Automotive and high-reliability TVS options
Automotive TVS options carry the qualification documentation the program requires, and the selection for a vehicle module starts from the rail and the ISO pulse set, then confirms the part’s qualification status on the datasheet and quality documents.
Automotive programs ask for parts whose qualification evidence matches the mission profile — temperature range, reliability data and the AEC or OEM-specific requirements. The same TVS function can exist in commercial and automotive-marked versions, and the difference is the documentation and the quality system behind the part, not only the marking. The buyer should verify the qualification status for the specific part number rather than assume a family is automotive because one member is. The engineering team can confirm which series carry the required documentation for the program.
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Moving from the portfolio to a part number
Move from the portfolio to a part number in four steps: define the rail voltage and tolerance, identify the surge waveform and energy, choose the package by assembly and thermal path, and confirm the window on the current datasheet before requesting samples or a quote.
The portfolio gives the map; the datasheet gives the contract. Once the rail window and the surge are defined, the power class and package narrow the search to a family, and the datasheet confirms the stand-off, breakdown, clamping, pulse power and thermal data for the specific code. For a replacement or cross-reference, compare the full window against the original part’s datasheet rather than the code. The last step is the same for every part: verify the datasheet revision and request samples for the bench test, because the window that passes the spreadsheet still needs to pass the surge test.
| Portfolio axis | Options | Selection input |
|---|---|---|
| Power class | Board-level to high-energy axial | Surge waveform and energy |
| Package | SMA/SMB/SMC SMD, axial DO-201 | Assembly and thermal path |
| Voltage family | Multiple code families | Rail window from the datasheet |
| Qualification | Commercial / automotive-marked | Program documentation needs |
Series map and next steps
The Good-Ark TVS portfolio spans power classes and packages so the selection can start from the surge, not from a remembered part number: axial families for higher energy, DO-214 surface-mount families for board-level protection, and automotive variants where the program requires documentation.
Define the rail and the surge, choose the package by the assembly and thermal path, and confirm the window on the current datasheet. The portfolio page is the navigation; the datasheet and the bench test are the destination. For samples, datasheets or a quote on a specific series, the sample and quote guide explains the request path.
Compare TVS families and their datasheets in the TVS category; when you share the rail voltage, surge standard and package preference, the engineering team can point you to the series and part-number family that fits the window.