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New
Product News
NEW
POWER CONTROLLER
The
new PowerNut simplifies the design of power-sensitive
applications by controlling the input power to an SBC or
other device. The PowerNut provides developers with voltage
regulation, power on/off time scheduling, and voltage-monitoring
features on a platform smaller than a credit card.
This
new accessory can control supply voltage from sources such
as solar panels or batteries to downstream devices at up
to 1 A. The PowerNut can provide either regulated 5 VDC
using its on-board 7- to 30-VDC regulator, or it can furnish
power directly from the source (5 to 30 VDC) to downstream
devices. By sending commands to the PowerNut, the main controller
has the ability to monitor the input voltage and turn off
power to itself (or another device) for a specified period
of time.
Additionally,
the PowerNut can be used as a "smart," solid-state
relay to control power to subsystems that do not contain
the primary system controller. Using an ultra-low quiescent
current regulator and a low-power PIC processor, the PowerNut
never sleeps, and its clocked serial port can be used to
wake up downstream devices. The PIC’s built-in A/D converter
can be used for low-battery detection.
A
typical application would be a remote, power-sensitive system
that’s required to perform a periodic task. When sending
commands to the PowerNut, the primary controller can power
down for period of time and then automatically wake up.
This allows any SBC to be used regardless of its power-management
capabilities. The PowerNut costs $39.
JK
Microsystems, Inc.
(530) 297-6073
www.jkmicro.com
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