Various types of voltage suppressors may be used in circuits in order to reduce the likelihood of damage to sensitive electronics resulting from power surges. Transient voltage suppressors (TVSs) may be capable of suppressing transient power surges, such as those due to lightning strikes.
Vehicles, such as Aircraft, may include multiple electronic systems, each having sensitive electronic devices. Some of the systems may have an exposed bus which may be susceptible to lightning strikes or other sources of transient power surges. In that regard, many aircraft include TVSs to protect against such lightning strikes. As a power surge is received on the bus, the TVS may shunt the power surge to a ground, thus reducing the likelihood of the power surge reaching and damaging the electronic devices.
The operation of a TVS may degrade over time or due to exposure to power surges. As these TVSs degrade, they may begin to function improperly, for example, by reduced shunting of the power surge to ground. In that regard, TVSs may be periodically removed from their corresponding system and connected to a test bench to ensure proper operation. However, such benchtop testing may be relatively expensive and may result in grounding of the aircraft during testing.