STDA058 October   2026 LMI800 , TPS1685 , TPS25985 , TPS25990

 

  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Evolution of Hot-Swap Architectures
  5. 2Considerations Shaping Next-Generation Hot-Swaps
  6. 3Driving the Hot-Swap FETs
  7. 4Safety and Insulation
  8. 5Conclusion
  9. 6References

Abstract

High-availability systems such as servers, network switches, and telecommunications systems are designed for near-zero downtime throughout their useful life. Such high-availability systems often require the insertion or removal of circuit boards without powering down the entire system.

Being the first point of entry for power at the input of the tray, a hot-swap circuit provides comprehensive telemetry for system diagnostics and efficient load management. The reliability of this circuit impacts operational uptime; thus, the ability to handle system transients is critical to avoid unplanned system outages.

With the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data center server power, the distribution voltage in an IT rack is moving from 48VDC to 800VDC. This white paper discusses the evolution of the hot-swap architecture to support the transition to the 800VDC architecture, and important considerations around the emerging system-level challenges.