
SMH4814 
 APPLICATIONS INFORMATION (CONTINUED)
Preliminary Information 
Summit Microelectronics, Inc 
2080  2.0  07/21/05 
15 
The SMH4814 provides three methods for controlling 
inrush current. The first method entails limiting the 
current being sourced from the VGATE_HS pin.  The 
maximum current out of this pin (I
VGHS_MAX
) is a 
programmable value from 8ua to 128
μ
a (nominal), 
based on register R0E[3:0].  The importance of having 
a current-limited gate drive is that the slew rate of the 
load voltage is roughly equivalent to the slew rate of 
the FET gate to drain capacitance, once the gate to 
source potential has reached the FET’s threshold 
voltage.  This slew rate (computed by dividing the gate 
current by the gate-drain capacitance) may be easily 
modified by adjusting the gate-drain capacitance, 
which may be a discrete component or capacitance 
built into the FET structure, or by adjusting the gate 
current. 
A second tool for limiting inrush current is based on 
further controlling the current being sourced from 
VGATE_HS. The SLEW_CNTL pin may be used to 
cause the gate current to linearly ramp from 0
μ
A to the 
maximum amount (described above) in the following 
manner.  On power-up, SLEW_CNTL is clamped at 
VSS; when VGATE_HS is enabled, SLEW_CNTL 
outputs 5
μ
A drawn from the internal 5V supply.  If bit 4 
of register R0E is set high, then the current out of 
VGATE_HS is reduced by the ratio of the voltage on 
SLEW_CNTL divided by 2.5V.  Once SLEW_CNTL 
exceeds 2.5V, then the current is limited to I
VGHS_MAX
.  
The advantage of ramping the gate current from zero 
up to its maximum amount is that the corresponding 
inrush current will follow a similar pattern, which may 
lead to less disruption to the overall system.  The rate 
at which the gate current increases is determined by 
the size of the external capacitor connected to the 
SLEW_CNTL pin. 
The third method for controlling inrush current is based 
on the SMH4814’s Current Regulation feature.  
Described in more detail in a later section, this feature 
regulates the current through the FET, and therefore 
the voltage across an external sense resistor as 
measured by the CBSENSE input, by controlling 
VGATE_HS.  Normally, this operation attempts to 
keep CBSENSE from exceeding a programmable 
threshold voltage, V
CR
; however, when the load is 
being initially powered, the regulation point at which 
CBSENSE is held may be gradually ramped from zero 
up to V
CR
.  This feature is enabled by setting bit 5 of 
register R0E high, and by selecting a ratio using 
R0E[7:6].   
In this case, CBENSE is regulated to the voltage on 
SLEW_CNTL times the ratio determined by R0E, up to 
the value of V
CR
. 
The methods described here for controlling inrush 
current may be used separately or together.  Once the 
voltage on SLEW_CNTL is within a p-ch threshold 
voltage of 5V_CAP, it must remain above this voltage. 
Load Control — Sequencing the Secondary 
Supplies
The PUP
A
 through PUP
D
 output pins are used to 
enable the external DC/DC controllers. Once the load 
has been fully powered, PUP sequencing may begin.  
The SMH4814 checks that two conditions have been 
met to indicate that the load is fully powered:  
1) DRAIN SENSE input voltage must be < 2.5V 
And  
2) VGATE_HS voltage must be > V
12
 – V
GT
. 
The DRAIN SENSE input helps ensure that the power 
MOSFET is not absorbing excessive steady state 
power from operating at a high V
DS
. This sensor 
remains active at all times (except when current 
regulation is enabled). The VGATE sensor makes sure 
that the power MOSFET is operating well into its 
saturation region before allowing the loads to be 
switched on. Once VGATE reaches V
12
 – V
GT
 this 
sensor is latched. 
PUP Outputs 
The SMH4814 has four programmable-polarity, open-
drain PUP (Power-Up Permitted) outputs that may be 
used to control the sequencing order of DC-DC 
converters.  After the soft start process has been 
completed and the load capacitance has been fully 
charged, there are four sequential time slots into which 
each of the PUP outputs may be assigned (Figure 5).   
A given time slot may have more than one PUP output 
assigned to it; likewise, a time slot may have no PUP 
outputs assigned to it.  Time Slot 0 begins after the 
gate of the main soft-start FET is fully enhanced and 
the load is fully charged.