New Industry Products

Maxim Expands High-Side Current-Sense Amplifier Portfolio

April 19, 2010 by Jeff Shepard

Maxim Integrated Products has expanded its portfolio of high-side current-sense amplifiers (CSAs) with the MAX9934. This precision CSA utilizes a current-output architecture and a chip-select pin to enhance design flexibility and simplify power-management schemes. Offered in space-saving UCSP™ and microMAX® packages, the MAX9934 is ideal for notebook computers, MP3 players, smartphones, and other portable electronics that require precision monitoring on multiple supply rails.

The current-output architecture allows designers to set the voltage gain using an external resistor (Rout) for greater flexibility. Meanwhile, the inclusion of a chip-select pin enables multiple MAX9934s, monitoring different supplies, to be multiplexed onto one ADC channel with a single Rout. This unique functionality allows designers to implement advanced power-monitoring and power-management schemes when a limited number of analog read channels are available.

Maxim’s autozeroing techniques ensure an input-offset voltage (Vos) of less than ±10µV and gain error of less than 0.25%. These precision specifications allow the use of very small sense voltages for minimally invasive current monitoring.

The MAX9934 is fully specified over the -40 to +125°C automotive temperature range, and is available in 8-pin microMAX and tiny, 1 x 1.5mm, 6-bump UCSP packages. Prices start at $0.95 (1000-up, FOB USA).