Controllers make live swaps safer

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Feb 24, 2004

Designed to provide safe insertion and removal of line cards from live backplanes, the MIC2588 and MIC2594 controllers operate from -19 to -80V with 100V surge protection.

Designed to provide safe insertion and removal of line cards from live backplanes, the MIC2588 and MIC2594 controllers from Solid State Supplies operate from -19 to -80V with 100V surge protection.

Pin compatible with LT1640, LT1640A and LT4250 parts, they are produced in 8-pin SOIC packages and will control an external N-channel mosfet in order to provide inrush-current limiting and overcurrent protection with minimal external components.

Additionally, each of these devices provides either an open-drain, active-high or active-low "power-good" control output for DC/DC power convertors.

Enabling the system designer to optimise several key parameters, including input undervoltage lockout, input overvoltage protection, and inrush overcurrent protection, both devices can attempt power up into a shorted load, incorporate a 400us overcurrent detector timeout delay, and regulate the output current to ensure inrush currents are controlled and managed regardless of the amount of load capacitance.

The MIC2594 additionally provides the engineer with the ability to program any amount of input undervoltage lockout hysteresis (or on/off threshold control) complying with ANSI standards.

Applications include server line cards, telecomms line cards, datacomms and networking, central office switching equipment and basestations.