New Industry Products

LTC Intros New LTC4221 Hot Swap Controller

August 18, 2004 by Jeff Shepard

Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) introduced its new LTC4221, a dual Hot Swap™ controller featuring a dual-level circuit breaker and the ability to control a core supply voltage as low as 1 V. The dual-level circuit breaker offers an adjustable filter for moderate over-current faults, yet responds immediately to catastrophic faults such as a short-circuit.

The circuit breaker threshold of only 25 mV minimizes the potential voltage drop for the core supply of the latest generation of low-voltage processors. In addition to active in-rush current limiting for live insertion, the LTC4221 protects the processor from latch-up due to supply sequencing problems.

The output voltages are monitored through multi-function feedback pins. During ramp-up, the in-rush current limit folds back as a function of the output voltage to protect the MOSFET. Once fully ramped up, the outputs are monitored for over-voltage and under-voltage faults as signaled by the PWRGD pins.

The LTC4221 is offered in a narrow, 16-pin, SSOP package. Available from stock, the part is screened for the commercial and industrial temperature ranges. Pricing begins at $3.10 each for 1,000-piece quantities.