The Bourns GMOV hybrid overvoltage protection component combines a metal oxide varistor (MOV) and a gas discharge tube (GDT) with patented space-saving FLAT® technology. This hybrid product provides a compact form factor that is a drop-in replacement for a standard 14 mm or 20 mm MOV.

The GMOV component is designed to be an enhanced protection solution that minimizes degradation and catastrophic failure issues that can occur with discrete MOVs when subjected to transient surges and temporary overvoltage conditions exceeding maximum rated values. The “on-call but not on-duty" isolation of the MOV from line voltage by the GDT shields the MOV from transients and temporary overvoltage spikes that typically damage the MOV over time. Leakage of the device is eliminated by the series GDT and mitigates damage to the MOV due to watt loss heating. Another significant benefit of combining the two technologies is that the GMOV device offers ultra-low leakage (<0.1 µA), helping to reduce damage due to watt loss heating. The result is a higher reliability protection solution with virtually zero standby energy consumption.

Major markets for varistor products are lighting ballasts, surge protective devices (SPDs), surge strips, switchboard apparatus, chargers, solar, data line communications, medical electronics (low/medium risk), power supplies, LED lighting, and control systems. Any application powered by AC or rectified DC can use a GMOV component for overvoltage protection.