New Industry Products

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Introduces EZ_Power™ Smart Load Switch

May 29, 2007 by Jeff Shepard

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor, Inc. (AOS) introduced the AOZ1300, the first device in a new family of EZ_Power™ protected smart load switches. The new 4A, load switch operates from an input voltage range of 2.7 to 5.5V and can be turned on using a CMOS or TTL compatible logic signal making it suitable for applications such as notebook docking stations, PCs, USB hubs, battery pack protection and safety control, RAID servers, LAN servers and WAN switches.

"Usually load switches requiring currents of up to 4A need to be turned on using a controller with an external power MOSFET. The AOZ1300 combines ultra-low RDS(on) trench MOSFET technology with high performance analog IC design sin an SO-8 package allowing AOS offer a cost effective compact solution for switching loads of up to 4A," said Ralph Monteiro, Director of Power IC Marketing at AOS.

The AOZ1300 is an NMOS based current-limited power distribution switch with built in charge pump circuitry, intended for applications that require circuit protection. The device operates from a 2.7 to 5.5V input supply and provides up to 4A load current. Built in level shift circuitry allows the AOZ1300 to be enabled using a logic level signal eliminating the need for external circuitry. AOZ1300 offers robust fault protection features including under voltage lock out (UVLO) over-current/short-circuit protection and thermal overload protection. The user has complete control over the current limit and can program it using a single resistor. An open-drain fault indicator is provided to alert a system controller of thermal overload, overcurrent, and short-circuit events. A 24ms fault blanking time eliminates false alarms. The AOZ1300 employs internal soft-start circuitry to control inrush current due to highly capacitive loads associated with hot-plug events. An adjustable slew rate control pin provides additional slew rate control if needed. The AOZ1300 is available in SO-8 package.

The AOZ1300 is available immediately in production quantities. Pricing begins at $0.62 in 1k quantities.