Toshiba TCKE6 Industrial eFuse ICs Features Auto-Retry and Latch Modes

Toshiba TCKE6 series Industrial eFuse ICs

Toshiba Electronics has recently introduced the TCKE6 series of 40V Industrial eFuse ICs, which are designed to replace physical fuses in industrial and consumer systems. Unlike standard fuses, these devices integrate built-in protection functions such as current limiting, overvoltage protection, and thermal shutdown into a single compact 2.9 × 2.8 mm TSOP6F package. The series operates from 4.4 V to 30 V with a 40 V maximum rating, making it suitable for 5 V, 9 V, 12 V, and 24 V power rails, while a low typical on-resistance of 52 mΩ helps reduce power loss and protect downstream components during fault conditions.

The series includes five variants with either auto-retry or latched recovery, and options for FLAG fault signals, EN on/off control, or MODE-selectable behavior. This allows designers to simplify power-line protection in applications such as industrial robots, PLCs, and consumer devices like robotic cleaners, while reducing component count and board space.

Toshiba TCKE6 series Specifications

• Product family: Toshiba TCKE6 series eFuse ICs
• Variants:
  • TCKE601RA/RL – FLAG function; Auto-retry (RA) or Latched (RL)
  • TCKE602RM – MODE function (Selectable Auto-retry/Latched)
  • TCKE603RA/RL – EN (Enable) function; Auto-retry (RA) or Latched (RL)
• Electrical Characteristics:
  • Input Voltage (Vin): 4.4V to 30V (Operating); up to 40V (Absolute Max)
  • Output current: 0 to 2.5A
  • On-resistance: 52 mΩ (typ.), 90 mΩ (max)
  • Output Limit Current: 1.84A (min) to 2.98A (max), depending on the external resistor
• Protection features:
  • Overcurrent protection,  Overvoltage protection
  • Short-circuit protection (1µs typical response time)
  • Overheat/Thermal shutdown protection
  • Current-limit response time 30 µs (typ.)
  • Slew rate control
• Controls and Signals
  • FLAG: Open-drain output for fault detection reporting
  • EN: Enable logic input for on/off control
  • MODE: Selects between Auto-retry and Latched recovery via external signal
• Package: TSOP6F, 2.9 × 2.8 × 0.8 mm
• Operating temperature: −40 °C to +125 °C (Industrial Temperature Range)

Block Diagram of  TCKE601RA, and TCKE601RL

Block Diagram of  TCKE602RM

Block Diagram of  TCKE603RA, and TCKE603RL

The company emphasizes that the TCKE6 series is designed for power-line protection rather than load switching, so it protects downstream ICs from overcurrent, overvoltage, and thermal faults. The devices operate entirely through hardware-based control, which is done via the FLAG, EN, and MODE pins meaning it does not require any firmware or microcontroller. All in all, this chip integrates multiple protection functions into a single IC. The eFuses shutsdown immediate during abnormal heating or unexpected short-circuit events, while also reducing discrete components, PCB area, and overall BOM complexity compared to traditional fuses combined with external protection circuitry.

The company mentions that the TCKE6 series Industrial eFuse ICs are available for purchase through major distributors like DigiKey and Mouser, but at the time of writing, I can only see that the TCKE601RL and TCKE603RL variants are available for $2.35 for a single unit, and the price drops down to $1.26 for a batch of 1000 chips. More information is available on the press release and products pages of  TCKE601RA, TCKE601RL, TCKE602RM, TCKE603RA, and TCKE603RL chips.

Images used courtesy of Toshiba