Fuse Failure Machanism ...??

I've always known picofuses to be of axially leaded cylindrical construction, looking like a small moulded choke package. Very confusing how terms vary from place to place around the world ...

I should be in your neck of the woods in a few weeks Michael.

Arfa

Yes, I missed the Littelfuse spelling (but not in the Hot Wheels thread); you might want to recheck the spec re Wickmann.

TM

There are axial types that solder in, and a bi-pin version that plugs in. Picofuse was the company name. The first I saw were in Jerrold CATV trunk amplifiers in 1972. They were a pain in the ass. You are on a ladder or in a bucket truck, trying to remove the ceramic screw on cover, and pull the fuse without losing either part.

Let me know if you want to stop by. I may be in Apopka, which is over half way to Orlando to pick up some donated equipment. :)

bucket truck = what we ,limies, call a cherry picker?

It's called the same thing in the US. I've never heard it called a bucket truck.

perhaps its a Mason-Dixon deliniation thing

A cherry picker is a similar, but lighter and small vehicle used for picking fruit. A bucket truck is too heavy and too wide to go down the rows in most groves. A bucket truck usually has outriggers to stabilize them when used off asphalt on concrete roads.

No, its a term used by utility companies.

That's entirely possible. I've never designed with that style of fuse, so I'm not familiar with the brands.

Yep, those are ones I was remembering.

EC

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Empirical Note:

That 3AG fuse style, the glass tube, 1A is perfect if you want a huge spike when the fuse blows.

I tried a lot of fuse types before I settled on that one. Use four 12 Volt deep discharge vehicle batteries in series, a spool of 4/0 cabling [about 50uH], and a starter solenoid for contactor. The circuit forms a short through the fuse. When the solenoid activates you get about 300-500 A through the fuse and it goes off like a flash bulb. The fuse stops conducting abruptly enough that the inductance gives you an excellent kick back to meet BT's weird telecom -48V power surge spec. I couldn't get any other fuse type to do as well.

Robert

Any time you generate plasma in a fuse, it will do that. You should see the damage when some idiot uses the old SFE 32 volt automotive fuses in a 120 or higher application.

Did you try AGC series fuses?

ould

a well designed fuse will 'slowly' go away

what does the AGC look like?

Like a 3AG.

I bet that made you popular. ;^)