Hot swap for communications infrastructure

Our telecommunications infrastructure runs 24/7 and much of it uses 48 V rack-based systems that are permanently live. So the boards and components that drive these systems must be able to be ‘hot-swapped’ to allow for upgrades and maintenance without ever needing to power down the equipment.

Block diagram

Highlighted components are Nexperia focus products

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Design considerations

When a board is plugged into a live system, it is important the in-rush current is carefully controlled to protect the components on the board and ensure other parts of the system do not experience any power disruption.
MOSFETs with a strong linear mode performance and enhanced safe operating area (SOA) are required to manage this current effectively and reliably
Once the replacement board is safely installed, the MOSFET is turned fully ON. In this mode of operation, a low R_DS(on) value is of primary importance, helping to keep temperatures down and system efficiency at a maximum

Nexperia in action

PSMN4R8-100BSE referenced in "Evaluating the ADM1272 High Voltage Positive Hot Swap Controller and Digital Power Monitor with PMBus"

The importance of SOA - Quick Learning

When a MOSFET is selected for a high power designs, engineers often select a device based on its on-resistance. Lower on-resistance results in MOSFETs with lower power loss, which in turn indicates less heating and safer operation for the device.

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