Programmable System-Management IC Monitors and Sequences Requirements in Complex

Abstract:Inmostelectronicsystems,itisimportanttomonitorsystemvoltagesbothtoensurethatprocessorsandotherICsremainresetduringpower-up,andtodetectwhenbrownoutconditionsoccur.Thismonitoringminimizescode-executionproblems,whichcorruptmemoryorcausesystemstoexecuteimproperly.Inhigh-endsystems,itisalsocriticaltoensurepropersequencingofthemanypowersupplieswithinthesesystems.Propersequencingpreventslatch-upconditions,whichcreatesystemproblemsordamageimportantcomponentssuchasmicrocontrollers(µCs),DSPs,ASICs,ormicroprocessors(µPs).Commonly,oneormoresupervisoryproductsareneededtoimplementthepropersequencingandmonitoringfunctionsnotedhere.

Asthenumberofvoltagescontinuetoincrease,thenumberofindependentsupervisoryICsalsomayincrease.Inadditiontothenumberofdiscretecomponents,thelevelofcomplexityalsoincreaseasanychangestothesequencingorder,delaytiming,orthemonitoredthresholdslevelsrequiressignificantchanges.AdditionalinformationisalsorequiredsuchasexactvoltagemeasurementsfromanADCisalsooftenusefulinimprovingreliabilityinthesehighendcomplexsystems.NewprogrammablesystemmanagementICssuchastheeepromconfigurableMAX6870/MAX6871providesafullyintegratedsolutionsthatofferthislevelofflexibility.System-them),oneregulatorwillthencomeupaftertheother,oncethePOR’stimedelayhaselapsed.managementICAsthenumberofsystemsupplyvoltagesincreases,voltagemonitorsandsupervisorsthatmonitormultiplemeetsmonitoringvoltagesbecomenecessary.However,becauseitiscommonfortentofifteenvoltagestopoweracomplexandsequencingsystem,severalsuchde