1500W bidirectional TVS for 13.6V rails
The 1.5KE16CA-E3/73: The Vishay 1.5KE16CA-/73 is a 1500W bidirectional TransZorb® TVS diode in a DO-201AA axial-lead package. It clamps transients at 22.5V maximum, with a 13.6V reverse standoff — sized for protecting 12V and 15V DC buses from surges up to 66.7A peak pulse current (10/1000µs waveform). The 1500W rating means it absorbs a single-pulse surge of that peak power without failing — the limiting factor in a real board is the trace inductance and the clamping voltage margin above the rail. With a 15.2V minimum breakdown, it triggers before the downstream regulator's abs-max is hit on a 12V bus.
Through-hole package and temperature range
Housed in a DO-201AA (DO-27) axial package, it mounts through-hole — the leads handle the surge current without the trace-lift risk of a surface-mount part on a thin copper pour. The single bidirectional channel protects both polarities of a differential pair or a single-ended rail against positive and negative transients — no need for two diodes in anti-series.