LTC Presents LTC4214 -12V Hot-Swap Controller
Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) presented its new LTC4214 -12V hot-swap controller, which features triple current control via a timed circuit breaker, active current limiting, and a fast feed forward path that limits peak current under worst-case catastrophic fault.
A slight over-current condition will trip the circuit breaker if it persists for an adjustable timer period. Larger over-current conditions will be controlled through active current limiting, maintaining a safe power level in the MOSFET. Catastrophic over-current conditions, due to a short circuit, will cause the circuit breaker to trip immediately, protecting the load and the MOSFET even more quickly than the active current limit loop.
The triple current control feature along with the separate soft-start sequence for in-rush current limiting protect -5V, -12V or ECL systems while taking up minimal board space. The LTC4214 is available in a 10-pin MSOP, and is available in a version that latches off after a circuit-breaker fault times out (LTC4214-1) and a version that provides automatic retry after a fault (LTC4214-2).
Both versions require a supply of -6V to -16V and are screened to the commercial and industrial temperature ranges. Pricing starts at $2.35 each for 1,000-piece quantities.
