An electrical overstress responsive composite is formed on an electrically insulative substrate, has a pair of electrodes associated with the substrate and defining a gap between the electrodes and over the interposed portion of the substrate, a pattern of closely spaced electrically conductive elements span said gap and are affixed to said substrate, and a dielectric resin overlies said conductive elements and also spans said gap. The dielectric resin may include conductive and/or semiconductive fine particles. The composite presents a high resistance to a low voltage applied across said electrodes and a low resistance to a high voltage applied across said electrodes.
A thin flexible laminate for overlay application on the pins of a connector or other circuit element, having an electrically insulating substrate, a conductive lamina of apertured pin receiving pads and a separate ground strip adjacent the pads, and an electrically insulating cover lamina, the substrate and cover having apertures aligned with the pad apertures, the cover having second apertures exposing adjacent edges of said pads and ground strip, with an electrical overstress pulse responsive composite material positioned in the second apertures and bridging the pads and the ground strip.