Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) introduced the new LTC4213, an electronic circuit breaker that senses load currents with the RDS(ON) of an external MOSFET, eliminating the need for a sense resistor. The new method reduces voltage and power loss in the switch path, lowers the cost and simplifies design. The LTC4213 is suitable for systems requiring continual protection of low voltage supplies.
For ultra-low-voltage applications, the LTC4213 operates over a bias supply range of 2.3 V to 6 V, and monitors voltages from ground up to 6 V. The electronic circuit breaker offers three pin-selectable VDS thresholds of 25 mV, 50 mV and 100 mV. The select pin can be stepped dynamically, allowing a higher circuit breaker threshold at startup and a lower threshold after the supply current has settled. The circuit breaker also provides dual level and dual response time functions for over-current protection by integrating a slow and a fast comparator.
Offered in 12-lead DFN package and specified over the commercial and industrial temperature ranges, pricing for the LTC4213 starts at $1.50 each in 1,000-piece quantities.
