LT3055 regulator controls and monitors almost everything
jmg
Posts: 15,173
A nice new regulator from Linear, (shame about the price...)
http://www.linear.com/product/LT3055
However, there are plenty of critical power monitoring, or even Bench PSU apps, where price is not so vital.
This device allow you to SET Upper and lower limits, and has Analog Out Iout/500 and Temp 10mV/°C
Output Current: 500mA
Dropout Voltage: 350mV
Input Voltage Range: 2V to 45V
Programmable Precision Current Limit: ±10%
Output Current Monitor: 1/500th of IOUT
Programmable Minimum IOUT Monitor
Temperature Monitor: 10mV/°C
FAULT Indicator: Current Limit, Thermal Limit or Minimum IOUT
Low Noise: 25μVRMS (10Hz to 100kHz)
Adjustable Output (VREF = VOUT(MIN) = 0.6V)
Output Tolerance: ±2% Over Load, Line and Temperature
Stable with Low ESR, Ceramic Output Capacitors (3.3μF Minimum)
Shutdown Current: <1μA
Reverse Battery and Thermal Limit Protection
16-Lead 4mm × 3mm DFN and MSOP Packages
http://www.linear.com/product/LT3055
However, there are plenty of critical power monitoring, or even Bench PSU apps, where price is not so vital.
This device allow you to SET Upper and lower limits, and has Analog Out Iout/500 and Temp 10mV/°C
Output Current: 500mA
Dropout Voltage: 350mV
Input Voltage Range: 2V to 45V
Programmable Precision Current Limit: ±10%
Output Current Monitor: 1/500th of IOUT
Programmable Minimum IOUT Monitor
Temperature Monitor: 10mV/°C
FAULT Indicator: Current Limit, Thermal Limit or Minimum IOUT
Low Noise: 25μVRMS (10Hz to 100kHz)
Adjustable Output (VREF = VOUT(MIN) = 0.6V)
Output Tolerance: ±2% Over Load, Line and Temperature
Stable with Low ESR, Ceramic Output Capacitors (3.3μF Minimum)
Shutdown Current: <1μA
Reverse Battery and Thermal Limit Protection
16-Lead 4mm × 3mm DFN and MSOP Packages
Comments
Anything where you need more than a simple regulator
* It is not easy to set a user-current-limit on simple regulators, but it can be useful (eg USB supplies)
* It is rare to see a minimum current fault indicator, but it gives a useful integrity signal
* Being able to read the exact current drain, via simple ADC, without additional shunts/level shifters
* Temperate read via simple ADC is also an integrity/reliability signal.
Some posters here make what sound like high reliability power supplies, and anyone making Automated test equipment, or instrumentation and logging systems could use a number of these alongside (eg) a Prop 1.
For example, LT1086. Amazing specs on paper, like: Line regulation: 0.015%, Load regulation: 0.1% and so on. But, all this happens only when load current is 10mA or above. If output current is lower, ALMOST FULL INPUT VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO OUTPUT! I intended to use it with some low power 3.3V MCU. Sure, it is my fault that I haven't read the docs well, but they don't state that output will go nuts with low load current! So, long story short, my MCU performed specific tasks on startup and entered sleep mode, lowering current consumption, so, LT1086 happily applied 7V to it (I was using 12V power supply), bursting it into smoke!