Analog Devices Multi-Voltage Monitors and Sequencers Deliver Industry Leading Accuracy

The ADM1184 and ADM1186 also complete the industry’s only monitor and sequencer family to deliver <±1% accuracy for 2 to 12 supplies. The new ICs are designed for today’s advanced data and telecommunications infrastructure equipment, which is driven by extremely powerful processors with ever-lower core-voltage supplies. With unprecedented accuracy, the ADM1184 and ADM1186 precisely monitor processor cores to ensure they operate within voltage tolerance specifications, allowing power and system engineers to maximise system uptime and optimise system performance.

“As the operating level of ASICs, DSPs, FPGAs and other processing cores drops to 1 volt and below, the ability to reliably monitor low-voltage core supplies is becoming more difficult,” said John Perzow, marketing director for fixed power products, Analog Devices. “This creates the potential for under-voltage conditions that can result in lost data and system failure.”

By improving accuracy to less than ±0.8 percent, the ADM1184 and the ADM1186 meet today’s more demanding processor monitoring requirements, which promote safer, more reliable and better optimised system operation in sensitive, high-availability applications, such as wireless communications equipment. Competitive multi-voltage monitors and sequencers typically achieve a >± 1.5% accuracy level, which does not meet modern processor requirements for monitoring low-voltage core supplies with a low tolerance and narrow band of operation.

With industry-leading accuracy, a high level of functional integration, and a small package size, the ADM1184 and ADM1186 incorporate four precision comparators with 0.6-V references to monitor separate voltage rails. The new ICs operate on a 2.7-V to 5.5-V power supply and include four inputs that can be programmed to monitor different voltage levels using external dividers. Additionally, the ADM1186 allows power-up and power-down sequencing in hardware, eliminating the need for software support and further increasing system reliability by ensuring that the voltage supply rails are powered up and down in the correct order and within tolerance.