What this -48V hot swap controller does
The MAX5900ABEUT+T is a single-channel hot swap controller from the Simple Swapper™ series, designed to manage the inrush current and protect the backplane when a line card is inserted into a live -48V telecom shelf. It operates from a -100V to -9V supply, which covers the nominal -48V telecom rail plus the transient spikes common on long backplane runs. The controller draws only 500 µA supply current, so the quiescent loss on an always-powered -48V bus stays negligible.
Protection features and programmability
Built-in auto retry, fault timeout, and thermal limit reduce the external component count — the controller handles overcurrent and overtemperature events without a supervisor IC. The undervoltage lockout (UVLO) threshold is programmable via an external resistor divider, letting the designer set the turn-on voltage to match the power-good window of the upstream -48V supply.
Housed in a SOT-23-6 (SOT-6) surface-mount package, the part fits on compact line-card PCBs and is hand-solderable for prototyping.
