Sunnyvale, Calif.—Maxim Integrated Products has introduced the MAX5957/MAX5958 (triple-channel) and MAX5959/MAX5960 (quad-channel) hot-plug controllers for safe insertion and removal of PCI-Express (PCIe) cards from live PCIe hot-plug slots.

By integrating more channels than competitive PCI-Express controllers, the MAX5957-MAX5960 increase design flexibility, and save both board space and production cost. The target application for these controllers is high-availability systems that require 24/7 operation. Examples include servers, and storage and RAID systems.

The availability of 3-/4-channel control brings designers much-needed flexibility for designing multiple-slot PCIe systems. Designers can now populate a multislot PCIe system with these 3- or 4-channel controllers without wasting any channels, and thus saving both board space and cost.

The MAX5957-MAX5960 provide independent power control for all three PCIe voltage rails (+12V, +3.3V, and +3.3V auxiliary supply rail) for three or four PCIe slots. The MAX5957/MAX5959 and MAX5958/MAX5960 are configured for 375mA and 550mA maximum current limit, respectively, for the +3.3V auxiliary supply rail.

The devices integrate a 0.2 Ω power MOSFET switch for each +3.3V auxiliary supply rail, and can be controlled with an external I/O expander through the SMBus interface. This flexible power-control scheme removes the need for external communications components and, again, reduces overall system cost.

The MAX5957-MAX5960 operate in the -40°C to +85°C extended temperature range. The MAX5957/MAX5958 (triple) are available in a 56-pin TQFN package; the MAX5959/MAX5960 (quad) are packaged in an 80-pin TQFP.

Pricing: Starts at $4.42 for the MAX5957/MAX5958 and $5.03 for the MAX5959/MAX5960 (1000-up FOB USA).

Availability: Now.
Datasheet: click here.

Maxim Integrated Products, 1-800-998-8800, www.maxim-ic.com