TPS2202, TPS2202Y
DUAL-SLOT PC CARD POWER-INTERFACE SWITCHES
FOR SERIAL PCMCIA CONTROLLERS
SLVS103A – DECEMBER 1994 – REVISED AUGUST 1995
6–15
POST OFFICE BOX 655303
DALLAS, TEXAS 75265
APPLICATION INFORMATION
designing around 1-A delivery (continued)
The allowable voltage loss across the power distribution switch is now 4.923 V minus 4.750 V or 173 mV.
Therefore, a switch with 173 m
or less could deliver 1 A or greater. Setting the power supply high is a common
practice for delivering voltages to allow for system switch, connector, and etch losses and has a minimal effect
on overall battery life. In the example above, setting the power supply 1.5% high would only decrease a 3-hour
battery life by approximately 2.7 minutes, trivial when compared with the decrease in battery life when running
a 5-W PC Card.
heat dissipation
A greater concern in delivering 1 A or 5 W is the ability of the host to dissipate the heat generated by the PC
Card. For desktop computers the solution is simpler: locate the PC Card cage such that it receives convection
cooling from the forced air of the fan. Notebooks and other handheld equipment are not be able to rely on
convection, but must rely on conduction of heat away from the PC Card through the rails into the card cage. This
is difficult because PC Card/card cage heat transfer is very poor. A typical design scenario would require the
PC Card to be held at 60
°
C maximum with the host platform operating as high as 50
°
C. Preliminary testing
reveals that a PC Card can have a 20
°
C rise, exceeding the 10
°
C differential in the example, when dissipating
less than 2 W of continuous power. The 60
°
C temperature was chosen because it is the maximum operating
temperature allowable by PC Card specification. Power handling requirements and temperature rises are topics
of concern and are currently being addressed by the PCMCIA committee.
overcurrent and over-temperature protection
PC Cards are inherently subject to damage that can result from mishandling. Host systems require protection
against short-circuited cards that could lead to power supply or PCB-trace damage. Even systems sufficiently
robust to withstand a short circuit would still undergo rapid battery discharge into the damaged PC Card,
resulting in the rather sudden and unacceptable loss of system power. This can be particularly frustrating to the
consumer who has already experienced problems with shortened battery life due to improper Nicad conditioning
or memory effect. Most hosts include fuses for protection. The reliability of fused systems is poor, though, as
blown fuses require troubleshooting and repair, usually by the manufacturer. The TPS2202 takes a two-pronged
approach to overcurrent protection. First, instead of fuses, sense FETs monitor each of the power outputs.
Excessive current generates an error signal that linearly limits the output current, preventing host damage or
failure. Sense FETs, unlike sense resistors or polyfuses, have the added advantage that they do not add to the
series resistance of the switch and thus produce no additional voltage losses. Second, when an overcurrent
condition is detected, the TPS2202 asserts a signal at OC that can be monitored by the microprocessor to initiate
diagnostics and/or send the user a warning message. In the event that an overcurrent condition persists,
causing the IC to exceed its maximum junction temperature, thermal-protection circuitry engages, shutting
down all power outputs until the device cools to within a safe operating region.
12-V supply not required
Most PC Card switches use the externally supplied 12-V V
pp
power for switch-gate drive and other chip
functions, requiring that it be present at all times. The TPS2202 offers considerable power savings by using an
internal charge pump to generate the required higher voltages from the 5-V V
DD
supply; therefore, the external
12-V supply can be disabled except when needed for flash-memory functions, thereby extending battery
lifetime. Additional power savings are realized by the TPS2202 during a software shutdown, in which quiescent
current drops to a maximum of 1
μ
A.
voltage transitioning requirement
PC Cards, like portables, are migrating from 5 V to 3.3 V to minimize power consumption, optimize board space,
and increase logic speeds. The TPS2202 is designed to meet all combinations of power delivery as currently
defined in the PCMCIA standard. The latest protocol accommodates mixed 3.3-V/5-V systems by first powering
the card with 5 V, then polling it to determine its 3.3-V compatibility. The PCMCIA specification requires that the