Abstract

eFuses are integrated power path protection devices which are increasingly being adopted to replace discrete front-end protection circuits in various applications, offering a compact and efficient design. eFuses cater to a wide range of currents up to 60A and voltages up to 80V. However, certain applications, such as servers and communication equipment, require significantly higher currents, often in the range of several tens to hundred of amperes. To address these demands, system designers frequently consider paralleling eFuses to scale the system for higher current requirements and improve thermal management. However, current distribution among parallel connected eFuses remains a challenge which leads to false system shutdown or reliability concerns. This application note introduces the Active Current Sharing (ACS) feature of TI eFuses and describes design and performance advantages using examples of four eFuses supporting a 80A load current and six eFuses supporting 100A load current.