What is a PCB fuse?
Designed to break a circuit when there’s too much current, PCB fuses come in various forms:
- Non-resettable surface mount fuses - mounted on to a PCB (printed circuit board), these fuses act as a circuit breaker. If the fuse blows, it will need replacing due to it being ’non-resettable’.
- Non-resettable wire ended fuses - these are attached to a PCB by soldering into place. There are different types of non-resettable wire ended fuses, varying from large, rounded cylinders to longer, thinner ones.
- Resettable surface mount fuses and wire ended fuses - these types of fuses can be re-used (if the current flowing through is too high, it will break the circuit, but will return to normal function when the current is back to the correct level). These fuses are available in various sizes.
What happens when a PCB fuse blows?
Every fuse contains a fine piece of metal, also known as a ribbon. When the current travelling through the fuse is too high, the metal will melt and break the circuit.
If the fuse in the PCB is a non-resettable version, you’ll need to replace it if it blows.
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