Milpitas, California
Linear Technology (www.lineartech.com) has introduced the LTC4214, a negative Hot Swap controller in a MSOP package that allows a board with a low-voltage negative supply to be safely inserted and removed from a live backplane. Output current is controlled by three stages of current limiting: a timed circuit breaker, active current limiting, and a fast feed-forward path that limits peak current under worst-case catastrophic fault. A slight overcurrent condition will trip the circuit breaker if it persists for an adjustable timer period. Larger overcurrent conditions will be controlled through active current limiting, maintaining a safe power level in the MOSFET. Catastrophic overcurrent conditions, due to a short circuit, will cause the circuit breaker to trip immediately, protecting the load and the MOSFET even more quickly than the active current limit loop. These features and the separate soft-start sequence for in-rush current limiting protect −5 V, −12 V, or ECL systems while taking up minimal board space.

The LTC4214 voltage monitor features programmable undervoltage and overvoltage detectors. These detectors disconnect the load whenever the input supply exceeds the desired operating range. A powergood status output can enable the load or a power module at start-up, or disable it if the circuit breaker trips. The LTC4214 requires a supply of −6 V to −16 V to operate, which is perfect for −12 V systems. Or, it can be derived from the 3.3 V and the −5.2 V of a −5.2-V system.

The LTC4214 Hot Swap controller comes in a 10-pin MSOP package. The LTC4214-1 latches off after a circuit-breaker fault times out. The LTC4214-2 provides automatic retry after a fault. Pricing starts at $2.35 each for 1000-piece quantities.

Santa Clara, California
National Semiconductor Corporation (www.nsc.com) recently introduced the first of a new family of modules. They are intended to greatly simplify the design of systems using Bluetooth wireless technology to exchange information between a wide range of computer and communication systems. National's new product family, Simply Blue, also offers low power consumption, exceptionally small size, and reduced design time.

The first module in this family is the LMX9820 Serial Port Module. The LMX9820 enables Bluetooth data connectivity via a UART serial port to support applications such as access points, digital cameras, set-top boxes, printers, and scanners. Additional members of the Simply Blue family will be introduced throughout 2003.

Simply Blue products include an embedded Bluetooth protocol stack, application-specific profiles, and a high-level command interpreter. Developed in conjunction with National's Bluetooth system partner, RTX, the LMX9820 module is compliant with the Bluetooth V1.1 specification.

Simply Blue modules also feature a small footprint of only 10.1 x 14.0 x 1.9 millimeters. They provide metal can shielding and radio front-end filtering for effective immunity to close-proximity radio noise. This is a common problem in most current portable wireless devices. The modules also include nonvolatile memory to support all Bluetooth wireless parameter storage needs, as well as firmware upgrades in the field.

The LMX9820 will be available in the first quarter of this year for $15 in 10k quantities. More information about the Simply Blue family is available at www.national.com/see/simblue.

South Portland, Maine
Fairchild Semiconductor (www.fairchildsemi.com) announced an online search tool that instantaneously provides product availability information from the company's distributor network. The new Distributor Stock Check tool searches Fairchild's comprehensive portfolio of Power Discrete, Analog & Mixed Signal, Interface & Logic, and Optoelectronics products, locating distribution sources available for immediate delivery.

Fairchild offers this tool as part of its Customer First eBusiness Program—a global, comprehensive, customer-oriented initiative that offers a series of integrated applications. Such applications are intended to enable the company's 50,000+ customers, channel partners, and suppliers to do business with Fairchild in the manner of their preference.

Using the new cross-referencing inventory search tool, visitors on Fairchild's Web site can easily determine product availability by using a search function located at the top of each Web page. They can submit a full or partial product name into the search field on the Distributor Stock Check page (www.fairchildsemi.com/buyproducts/). Or, visitors can click on any hyperlinked product name appearing on product-folder Web pages. Information on the page is updated daily. Any one of these simple search methods produces a real-time list of Fairchild worldwide distributors carrying in-stock products and quantities on hand.