There are different kinds of snubbers that can be used. I know of 3, but there could be more.
- D
- RC
- RCD
If an certain circuit uses a diode, can I swap it for an RC ? Or if a circuit has an RC, can I swap it for a diode ? Are they interchangeable ?
If they are interchangeable, is cost the reason why one is chosen over the other or are there specific applications where one would be better suited over the other?
Best Answer
I'd say no, since each snubber is designed to function for that circuit. An RC snubber across a switching supply winding is "tuned" to provide enough damping at that frequency; it couldn't work on a solenoid since it's values are almost certainly incompatible for that application. As far as the different types of snubber are concerned, this depends on what is allowable in the circuit and how much damping is required. There are even more types which become more complex, for specialty applications. Google has many hits on this topic, the first being a decent Wikipedia overview of snubbers.