A hot-swap controller is used to limit the inrush current when a circuit board is plugged into a powered backplane. In addition a hot-swap controller may offer some or all of the following features: over current protection (electronic circuit breaker), over-voltage protection, and under-voltage protection. Hot-swap controllers are also required to isolate the board from the backplane which is useful in troubleshooting, maintenance, and upgrade activities. The power-down request may come from the backplane (remote) or an on-board switch (manual).
This reference design demonstrates how a Power Manager II ispPAC-POWR1220AT8 can be used to implement the functions required for +12V hot-swap applications. This reference design is compatible with the Power Manager II Hercules Development Kits.