General Description

The MAX5968 soft-switch and ideal diode controller protects systems with redundant DC-DC converter modules against failure of the converter by controlling external n-channel MOSFETs at the input and output of the converter. Input short-circuit and overload current protection is provided by means of a current-sense amplifier connected to a sense resistor that resides at the source of the external protection MOSFET. If a failure occurs at the input of the associated converter, the MAX5968 protects the input supply by pulling the gate of the input protection MOSFET low and disconnecting the failed converter. Similarly, if there is a failure at the output of the redundant converter, the MAX5968 detects the reverse potential across the output MOSFET and pulls the gate low to disconnect the failed converter from the load. The MAX5968 features VariableSpeed/BiLevelK input circuit-breaker protection.

Features

♦ 10-Bit ADC for Temperature, Voltage, Output

   MOSFET Forward Voltage, and Input Current

   Monitoring

♦ Circular Buffers Store 50 Most Recent Voltage

   and Current Values for Fault Transient Analysis

♦ Input Circuit-Breaker Controller Drives External

   Low-Side n-Channel MOSFET

♦ Output Reverse-Current Protection Controller

   Drives Parallel External n-Channel MOSFETs

♦ Programmable VariableSpeed/BiLevel Fault

   Protection Provides Electronic Circuit-Breaker

   Function

♦ Internal 4A Pulldown Current for Fast Shutdown

   of the Circuit Breaker

♦ Internal 600mW Gate Drive for Fast On-Off Control

   of the ORing FETs

♦ Minimum- and Maximum-Value Detection

   Registers for All Digitized Signals

♦ Two GPIO Pins

♦ 400kHz I2C Interface

♦ Small, 5mm x 5mm, 28-Pin TQFN Package

Applications

   Redundant DC-DC Converter Protection

   Servers

   High-Reliability Systems