Electronics Weekly
It also has five GPIO pins. The firm is aiming the device at notebook and desktop computers where VID control, high efficiency, and low-noise operation are a priority.
The device monitors the temperature of one or two external diode-connected transistors up to 145°C with ±1°C accuracy. The SMBus interface makes data available to the system. The temperature data is also used by the internal PWM fan-speed controller to adjust the speed of two cooling fans.
Fans can be programmed to operate with remote channel one, remote channel two, or both remote channels. Additionally, the tachometer input of each fan is monitored to ensure correct operation. In the case of failures, fan drive is automatically removed and an alert signal can be generated.
The MAX6678 is offered in the 20-pin QSOP package. It operates from an input voltage range of 3V to 5.5V, and uses 500µA of supply current. Prices start at $1.75 (2,500-off).
