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PCA9546A

ACTIVE

4-channel 2.3- to 5.5-V I2C/SMBus switch with reset & voltage translation

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TCA9546A ACTIVE 4-channel 1.65- to 5.5-V I2C/SMBus switch with reset & voltage translation Performance enhancements for power-on reset and lower voltage operation.

Product details

Addresses 8 Features Reset pin Rating Catalog Frequency (max) (MHz) 0.4 Operating temperature range (°C) -40 to 85 Number of channels 4
Addresses 8 Features Reset pin Rating Catalog Frequency (max) (MHz) 0.4 Operating temperature range (°C) -40 to 85 Number of channels 4
VQFN (RGY) 16 14 mm² (4 mm × 3.5 mm) VQFN (RGV) 16 16 mm² (4 mm × 4 mm) TSSOP (PW) 16 32 mm² (5 mm × 6.4 mm) TVSOP (DGV) 16 23.04 mm² (3.6 mm × 6.4 mm) SOIC (D) 16 59.4 mm² (9.9 mm × 6 mm) SOIC (DW) 16 106.09 mm² (10.3 mm × 10.3 mm)
  • 1-of-4 Bidirectional Translating Switches
  • I2C Bus and SMBus Compatible
  • Active-Low Reset Input
  • Three Address Pins, Allowing up to Eight PCA9546A Devices on the I2C Bus
  • Channel Selection Via I2C Bus, in Any Combination
  • Power-up With All Switch Channels Deselected
  • Low RON Switches
  • Allows Voltage-Level Translation Between 1.8-V, 2.5-V, 3.3-V, and 5-V Buses
  • No Glitch on Power-up
  • Supports Hot Insertion
  • Low Standby Current
  • Operating Power-Supply Voltage Range of 2.3 V to 5.5 V
  • 5.5 V Tolerant Inputs
  • 0 to 400-kHz Clock Frequency
  • Latch-Up Performance Exceeds 100 mA Per JESD 78
  • ESD Protection Exceeds JESD 22
    • 2000-V Human-Body Model (A114-A)
    • 1000-V Charged-Device Model (C101)
  • 1-of-4 Bidirectional Translating Switches
  • I2C Bus and SMBus Compatible
  • Active-Low Reset Input
  • Three Address Pins, Allowing up to Eight PCA9546A Devices on the I2C Bus
  • Channel Selection Via I2C Bus, in Any Combination
  • Power-up With All Switch Channels Deselected
  • Low RON Switches
  • Allows Voltage-Level Translation Between 1.8-V, 2.5-V, 3.3-V, and 5-V Buses
  • No Glitch on Power-up
  • Supports Hot Insertion
  • Low Standby Current
  • Operating Power-Supply Voltage Range of 2.3 V to 5.5 V
  • 5.5 V Tolerant Inputs
  • 0 to 400-kHz Clock Frequency
  • Latch-Up Performance Exceeds 100 mA Per JESD 78
  • ESD Protection Exceeds JESD 22
    • 2000-V Human-Body Model (A114-A)
    • 1000-V Charged-Device Model (C101)

The PCA9546A is a quad bidirectional translating switch controlled via the I2C bus. The SCL/SDA upstream pair fans out to four downstream pairs, or channels. Any individual SCn/SDn channel or combination of channels can be selected, determined by the contents of the programmable control register.

An active-low reset ( RESET) input allows the PCA9546A to recover from a situation in which one of the downstream I2C buses is stuck in a low state. Pulling RESET low resets the I2C state machine and causes all the channels to be deselected, as does the internal power-on reset function.

The pass gates of the switches are constructed such that the VCC pin can be used to limit the maximum high voltage, which will be passed by the PCA9546A. This allows the use of different bus voltages on each pair, so that 1.8-V, 2.5-V, or 3.3-V parts can communicate with 5-V parts without any additional protection. External pull-up resistors pull the bus up to the desired voltage level for each channel. All I/O pins are 5.5-V tolerant.

The PCA9546A is a quad bidirectional translating switch controlled via the I2C bus. The SCL/SDA upstream pair fans out to four downstream pairs, or channels. Any individual SCn/SDn channel or combination of channels can be selected, determined by the contents of the programmable control register.

An active-low reset ( RESET) input allows the PCA9546A to recover from a situation in which one of the downstream I2C buses is stuck in a low state. Pulling RESET low resets the I2C state machine and causes all the channels to be deselected, as does the internal power-on reset function.

The pass gates of the switches are constructed such that the VCC pin can be used to limit the maximum high voltage, which will be passed by the PCA9546A. This allows the use of different bus voltages on each pair, so that 1.8-V, 2.5-V, or 3.3-V parts can communicate with 5-V parts without any additional protection. External pull-up resistors pull the bus up to the desired voltage level for each channel. All I/O pins are 5.5-V tolerant.

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Technical documentation

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Top documentation Type Title Format options Date
* Data sheet PCA9546A Low Voltage 4-Channel I2C and SMBus Switch with Reset Function datasheet (Rev. I) PDF | HTML Jun 21, 2022
Application note I2C Solutions for Hot Swap Applications (Rev. A) Jan 31, 2023
Application note I2C Dynamic Addressing Apr 25, 2019
Application note Choosing the Correct I2C Device for New Designs PDF | HTML Sep 7, 2016
Application note Understanding the I2C Bus PDF | HTML Jun 30, 2015
Application note Maximum Clock Frequency of I2C Bus Using Repeaters May 15, 2015
Application note I2C Bus Pull-Up Resistor Calculation PDF | HTML Feb 13, 2015

Design & development

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Simulation model

HSPICE Model for PCA9546A

SCPJ001.ZIP (112 KB) - HSpice model
Supported products & hardware
Simulation model

PCA9546A IBIS Model

SCPM006.ZIP (129 KB) - IBIS model
Supported products & hardware
Design tool

I2C-DESIGNER — I2C designer tool

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Reference design

TIDA-010240 — Scalable multi-pack smart battery charger reference design

Lithium batteries with more than 100 watt-hours (Wh) are generally not permitted in carry-on luggage, and any exceptions to this rule lie at the discretion of airlines and require prior approval. This reference design is a smart high-efficiency charger design for dual smart battery packs of up to (...)
Supported products & hardware
Package Pins CAD symbols, footprints & 3D models
VQFN (RGY) 16 Ultra Librarian
VQFN (RGV) 16 Ultra Librarian
TSSOP (PW) 16 Ultra Librarian
TVSOP (DGV) 16 Ultra Librarian
SOIC (D) 16 Ultra Librarian
SOIC (DW) 16 Ultra Librarian

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