Circuit & System Protection


High-power electronic fuse

15 August 2018 Circuit & System Protection

Sustaining up to 4 A continuous current over a wide operating input voltage range of 8 V to 48 V, with low insertion loss thanks to its integrated low-RDS(ON) VIPower MOSFET, the STEF01 programmable electronic fuse from STMicroelectronics extends the benefits of fast-acting overload protection to applications at higher power ratings.

When connected in series to the main power rail, the device protects the load against over-current and over-voltage. The voltage is clamped to a user-defined maximum, preset with external resistors. Excessive current is restricted to the programmed safe limit by controlling the internal power MOSFET, and folds back to a lower limit if a strong over-current or short circuit is detected.

The STEF01 leverages ST’s BCD8 high-voltage process to integrate features including dV/dt control to prevent excessive inrush current during startup or hot-swap insertion. This slows the output voltage ramp-up time to at least 3 ms, which can be increased if desired by connecting an external capacitor. Programmable under-voltage lockout (UVLO), also set using external components, allows the user to fine-tune the desired voltage rail minimum value to suit the load requirements.

Further features include thermal shutdown with latching or auto-retry, and maximum dissipated-power protection, which each prevent exceptionally high power from damaging the STEF01 when starting up into heavy capacitive loads, or during large load transients or short-circuits at high voltage. There is also a power-good indicator and an enable/fault pin that can be used as either a status monitor or to control the device. A dedicated gate-driver output for controlling an external N-channel MOSFET simplifies implementation of reverse-current protection.

The STEF01 delivers protection for a wide range of applications, including industrial hot-swap boards and control equipment, circuit breakers, power buses, security or lighting systems, telecom power modules, or distributed power systems. It is available now in a 14-pin HTSSOP14 package.

For more information contact Dirk Venter, Arrow Altech Distribution, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.arrow.altech.co.za



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

General-purpose evaluation board
Altron Arrow DSP, Micros & Memory
Based on the 32-bit Arm Cortex-M7 S32K3 MCU in a 172 HDQFP package, the S32K3X4EVB-T172 offers dual cores configured in lockstep mode, ASIL D safety hardware, and HSE security engine.

Read more...
Zero drift current shunt monitors
Altron Arrow Power Electronics / Power Management
The NCS21671 and NCV21671 from onsemi are a series of voltage output current sense amplifiers offered in gains of 25, 50, 100, and 200 V/V.

Read more...
Wi-Fi 6/BLE module enables rapid development
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Telit Cinterion has announced the WE310K6, a fully integrated, low-power module featuring dual-band, dual-stream Wi-Fi 6, and dual-mode Bluetooth/BLE.

Read more...
Analysis of switch-mode power supply: inductor violations
Altron Arrow Editor's Choice Power Electronics / Power Management
Common switch-mode power supply (SMPS) design errors are discussed, and their appropriate rectification is specified, with details on complications that arise with the power stage design of DC-DC switching regulators.

Read more...
Clearing the Static: Understanding the significance of ESD audits
Actum Electronics Circuit & System Protection
An ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) audit is the first step in establishing an ESD plan, and it is important to include all areas where ESD-sensitive components are being handled.

Read more...
Microsoft Windows IoT on ARM
Altron Arrow Computer/Embedded Technology
This expansion means that the Windows IoT ecosystem can now harness the power of ARM processors, known for their energy efficiency and versatility.

Read more...
Accelerating the commercialisation of the 5G IoT markets
Altron Arrow Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Fibocom unveils Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) module MA510-GL, enabling satellite and cellular connectivity to IoT applications.

Read more...
Microchip introduces ECC608 TrustMANAGER
Altron Arrow Circuit & System Protection
To increase security on IoT products and facilitate easier setup and management, Microchip Technology has added the ECC608 TrustMANAGER with Kudelski IoT keySTREAM, Software as a Service (SaaS) to its Trust Platform portfolio of devices, services and tools.

Read more...
xG26 sets new standard in multiprotocol wireless device performance
Altron Arrow AI & ML
Silicon Labs has announced its new xG26 family of Wireless SoCs and MCUs, which consists of the multiprotocol MG26 SoC, the Bluetooth LE BG26 SoC, and the PG26 MCU.

Read more...
SolidRun unveils new SoM
Altron Arrow AI & ML
SolidRun and Hailo has unveiled a game-changer for engineers and AI product developers with the launch of their market-ready SoM, which packs the cutting-edge capabilities of the Hailo-15H SoC.

Read more...