Linear Technology introduces the LTC2974 power supply manager with EEPROM for complete digital management of power supply systems with four or more power rails. The LTC2974 utilizes an I2C interface and PMBus command set to monitor and control positive or negative supplies, providing debug capabilities during power system design, development, production and failure analysis. Any supply with a “run” pin can be sequenced and controlled using tracking or time-based events.

The LTC2974’s four channels simultaneously monitor voltage and current, as well as external temperature so users can compensate for shifting MOSFET RDS(ON) or inductor DCR. Each supply can be margined and trimmed over temperature, using a digital servo loop that measures the rail voltage and continuously adjusts to maintain accuracy. All of the LTC2974’s supply functions perform with uncompromising accuracy, with better than ±0.25% total unadjusted error. Users can harness the powerful LTpowerPlay™ GUI to intuitively configure and interrogate the LTC2974’s registers, user settings, and fault log. For applications requiring more than four supplies, the LTC2974 can be cascaded using a 1-wire synchronization bus, allowing fault dependencies to be established across devices sharing the fault bus.

The LTC2974 is available in a 64-lead 9mm x 9mm QFN package that is RoHS compliant and specified over the commercial and industrial temperature ranges. The DC1856 demo system with DC1613 USB-to-PMBus controller showcases the LTC2974 managing four discrete supplies.