Load switch simplifies hot swap management

Designed to protect peripheral ports from short circuit and over voltage events, the load switch combines reverse current blocking with programmable current limit capability and an integrated fault flag. Operating across an input range of 2.4 to 5.5V, the AAT4614 can be used in both 3 and 5V systems. When the input drops below 2.4V, an under voltage lockout circuit automatically shuts down operation to avoid saturation. To protect the device against large input currents which could cause the supply to fall out of regulation, the load switch features an over current threshold which is programmable up to 1.6A via a resistor from SET to ground. A 1ms current limit transient response reduces the requirements for local supply bypassing. The AAT4614 adds a reverse current blocking capability to protect the device from reverse current potentials when disabled. In addition, the device features an open drain FAULT flag to indicate an over current or over temperature condition. A 4ms blanking time prevents false reporting during charge of a capacitive load. The AAT4614 also features an RDS(ON) of 130 milli Ohms typical. To conserve power, quiescent current on the AAT4614 is only 10 micro A. In shutdown mode, supply current decreases to <1 micro A. The switch also features an over temperature protection circuit that automatically switches the device off if die temperature exceeds a pre defined limit.