Evaluation Boards

LMP8646EB/NOPB

LMP8646EB/NOPB - Precision Current Limiter Eval Board | Texas Instruments

The Texas Instruments LMP8646EB/NOPB is an evaluation board designed to demonstrate and accelerate design-in of the LMP8646, a precision current limiter IC housed in a 6-pin SOT-23 package. The LMP8646 detects small differential voltages across a current-sense resistor in the presence of high input common-mode voltages, supporting system rails from -2 V to 42 V common-mode range while delivering a fixed-gain output. The board includes the LMP8646 device, sense resistor footprint, input/output test points, and a clearly labeled schematic to enable immediate bench measurement. An integrated current-sense amplifier (also called a current-shunt monitor or current limiter) is a specialized analog IC that amplifies the small millivolt-level differential voltage developed across a low-side or high-side shunt resistor into a ground-referenced signal proportional to load current. Within the broader hierarchy, the LMP8646 belongs to: current-sense amplifier -> analog amplifier -> signal chain IC -> power management IC -> semiconductor. This category plays a critical role in power monitoring, battery management, motor control, and overcurrent protection by translating load current into a measurable, low-impedance voltage that downstream ADCs, microcontrollers, or protection comparators can directly read. Key features include a common-mode input range of -2 V to 42 V (independent of supply), a fixed gain of typically 20 V/V, a quiescent current of approximately 380 microamperes, an operating temperature range of -40 C to +125 C, and a bandwidth designed for DC and low-frequency motor/load current signals. The supply voltage range typically tracks the LMP8646 device rating (2.7 V to 12 V). The SOT-23-6 (DBV) footprint with exposed thermal pad simplifies layout and allows operation up to the full thermal envelope. The SOT-23 family belongs to the SMD/SMT package hierarchy used in millions of compact industrial and automotive modules. Technically, the LMP8646 uses a chopper-stabilized input stage to achieve very low input offset voltage and high DC accuracy over temperature, making it suitable for measuring sub-100 mV sense voltages without losing linearity. The high common-mode rejection allows it to sit on either side of the sense resistor - a key advantage in motor-drive, solenoid, and battery-pack designs where the shunt must remain in the high-current path. As a current limiter, the internal precision reference and open-drain flag output simplify hardware-based overcurrent shutdown, removing firmware polling latency from the protection loop. Typical applications include eBike/pedelec and small EV battery-pack current monitoring, DC motor overcurrent protection in cordless tools, USB-C and 24V industrial-bus load monitoring, server and telecom -48 V hot-swap current limiting, solar charge controller input metering, and industrial PLC analog-input front ends. In each, the LMP8646EB/NOPB board lets a designer confirm transient response, settling behaviour, and thermal performance on the bench before committing to a layout. When designing with this part, place the sense resistor as close as possible to the LMP8646 input pins and keep the differential traces length-matched and surrounded by ground to preserve CMRR; ensure the supply decoupling capacitor sits within 2 mm of the V+ pin. The board's reference schematic can be copied nearly verbatim into production layouts. This page synthesizes distributor pricing from DigiKey, Mouser, Octopart, and LCSC, cross-referenced against the TI datasheet, and packages the data for engineers comparing evaluation boards during component selection. The accompanying pinout diagram, alternatives list, and comparison table are not duplicated on TI's product page or typical distributor listings.