A new automotive safety-certified ceramic capacitor series delivers higher voltage tolerance, stronger surge protection, and enhanced electrical isolation for EV chargers, industrial power systems, and high-voltage AC filtering applications.
Automotive power electronics are steadily moving toward higher operating voltages, placing greater demands on components that must ensure electrical safety while suppressing electromagnetic noise. Addressing this need, Murata Manufacturing has introduced the DE5 series of automotive safety-certified lead-type disc ceramic capacitors. The new series achieves IEC 60384-14 X1/Y1 safety certification, providing significantly higher voltage and impulse withstand capability than conventional Y2-class alternatives, making it suitable for demanding automotive and industrial AC power applications.
Designed primarily for electric vehicle on-board chargers (OBCs) and other AC line-connected systems, the DE5 series supports a 500Vac (r.m.s.) Y1-rated voltage, compared with 300Vac offered by Murata’s earlier DE6 family. It also increases impulse withstand voltage from 5kV to 12kV, enabling designers to meet stricter insulation requirements and provide greater protection against transient voltage surges.
The key features are:
- Supports 1,500V DC rated voltage.
- Available in 100pF to 4,700pF capacitance range.
- Offered with B and E temperature characteristics.
- 10mm lead spacing for through-hole PCB mounting.
- Qualified to AEC-Q200 Rev. E automotive reliability standards.
The series consists of lead-type disc ceramic capacitors available in capacitance values ranging from 100pF to 4,700pF. Devices support a rated DC voltage of 1,500V and an X1 AC rating of 760Vac, allowing their use across high-voltage filtering and EMI suppression circuits. Temperature characteristic options include B and E, enabling engineers to select components based on application-specific stability requirements.
Murata has also designed the capacitors to comply with AEC-Q200 Rev. E, ensuring they meet automotive qualification standards for reliability under harsh operating environments. Depending on capacitance, package dimensions range from 6mm to 14mm maximum outer diameter, with a standard 10mm lead spacing, allowing integration into a variety of power electronics designs.
The DE5 series targets applications where conventional Y2-certified capacitors may no longer provide sufficient safety margin. Besides EV on-board chargers, the capacitors can be used in high-voltage AC input filters, industrial power supplies, charging infrastructure, renewable energy equipment, and other systems that require reinforced insulation and improved surge immunity.
