Summit Intros New SMH4814 Hot-Swap Controller
Summit Microelectronics Inc. (San Jose, CA), a supplier of programmable, mixed-signal, power management platform solutions, has expanded its programmable power management family with the introduction of a dual-feed, active OR'ing hot-swap controller, the SMH4814, which can monitor and control two independent –48 V feeds, allowing for redundant power supply control. The SMH4814 eliminates the need for passive OR'ing diodes, which are bulky and contribute to system power dissipation. Typical applications are those with –48 V power distribution, including high-availability servers, wireless base stations, central office switches, and telecommunications line cards that demand both on-the-fly configurability and redundant power supply to the system. Other applications include systems designed to support the Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture specifications.
Using Summit's GUI-based, non-volatile programming technology, the SMH4814 can be customized to address specific power management and control requirements while using a single part number for different platforms. The SMH4814 provides precise current and voltage control during turn-on and operation while an internal shunt regulator allows compatibility with a wide input-voltage range. Unlike traditional implementations that utilize OR'ing diodes to connect redundant power supplies, the SMH4814 controls external n-channel field-effect transistors, reducing total system power dissipation and minimizing costs and board space associated with cooling fans and heatsinks. Lower power levels also eliminate the need for through-hole components, so manufacturing complexity is reduced.
The SMH4814 offers a variety of protection features that increase system performance and reliability, including soft-start power-up, over-current circuit-breaker functions, and integrated over-voltage and under-voltage monitors, which allow for full protection from system failures. The over-current trip levels, forced shutdown mode, and over-voltage/under-voltage monitor thresholds are fully programmable, allowing for a high degree of design flexibility. Additionally, a programmable glitch filter is provided on the monitor circuits to prevent false alarms during transients.
The SMH4814 continuously monitors the incoming feeds and switches to the most negative feed as necessary. In addition, it hot-swaps and sequences up to four independent downstream dc-dc converters with programmable sequence order and delay times. The SMH4814 ensures that a series of conditions are met before the external power MOSFET is turned on and the supply voltage is ramped up in a controlled, well-behaved manner. The device's integration, versatility, and high-performance meet the stringent requirements for high-end systems requiring maximum up-time.
The SMH4814 allows a variety of add-in cards to be removed from or inserted into a fully powered host platform without an interruption in the system's operation and without damage to any of the devices on the board. Programming is achieved via the convenient I2C bus and configuration data is safely stored in non-volatile EEPROM memory of which 256 bytes are available for user data storage. The devices can be programmed during development and then used in a "fixed" configuration or they may be re-programmed in-system via the I2C interface.
The SMH4814 is offered in both the commercial and the industrial operating temperature range and is packaged in the space-saving, 5 mm x 5 mm, 28-pad QFN and 28-pin SOIC packages. Available now in production quantities, the SMH4814 is priced at $4.18 each in the commercial temperature range, and at $6.43 in the industrial temperature range for the SOIC package in quantities of 1,000 devices. Unit pricing for the QFN package is at $4.37 in the commercial temperature range and $6.75 in the industrial temperature range in quantities of 1,000 units.
