New Industry Products

Micrel Releases Single-Channel, Constant Power-Limit, Hot Swap Controller

September 30, 2008 by Jeff Shepard

Micrel Inc. launched the MIC2310, a single-FET, constant power-limit Hot-Plug controller. The device addresses numerous power-limiting applications including blade server systems, base stations, high-reliability servers, +12V power distribution backplanes, power-limiting applications, enterprise switch networks, and select telecommunications applications. The MIC2310 is well suited for 240-VA system applications specified by UL60950, EN60950, and CSA1950 industry specifications.

"Business enterprise/infrastructure systems represent a relatively mature market that is constantly evolving with new standards and changing requirements for safety and capacity," noted John T. Lee, Director Non Portable Power, Micrel. "The MIC2310 offers customers an adaptive current limit control solution that is designed to provide constant power limiting in a wide range of applications for the safest possible insertion and removal of PC boards into fixed, rack, and pedestal mid- or back-planes, while using the fewest possible external components."

The MIC2310 features patent-pending, adaptive circuit breaker threshold control circuitry that maintains constant power product (Volt x Amps) at the output over the device’s full operating voltage range. The power product is externally programmable for various power applications (50 – 600W) and the voltage is monitored at load (output of the MIC2310) to provide true power limiting. Integration of inrush current control circuitry lowers the external component count and a steady-state load current monitor allows the system manager (microcontroller) to allocate and/or prioritize available power for the downstream system circuits or modules. The integrated solution comes in a 24-pin TSSOP package option.

The IC is currently available in volume quantities; pricing starts at $2.69 for 1K quantities.