Surge protectors for application on multiconductor balanced or unbalanced data, communications, and signaling circuits with voltages equal to or less than 1000 Vrms, or 1200 V dc are covered by this standard. These surge protectors are designed to limit voltage surges, current surges, or both. The methods of testing and criteria for determining the end of life of electrical surge protectors used in low-voltage data, communications, and signaling circuits are described. The surge protectors covered are multiple-component series or parallel combinations of linear or nonlinear elements, packaged for the purpose of limiting voltage, current, or both. This standard is not intended to cover packaged single gas tube, air gap, varistor, or avalanche junction surge-protective devices, which are covered by IEEE Std C62.31 [B21], IEEE Std C62.32 [B22], IEEE Std C62.33 [B23], and IEEE Std C62.35 [B24], respectively. Keywords: communications circuits, current limiters, data circuits, electrical protection, IEEE C62.36, signaling circuits, surge protectors, surge- protective devices, voltage limiters. |