
DESCRIPTION
DEMO MANUAL DC1613A
I2C/SMBUS/PMBUS
Controller
Demonstration circuit 1613A is a USB-based controller
with generic Inter Integrated Circuit (I
SMBUS/PMBUS capabilities. It is designed to mate with
Linear Technology’s family of LTpowerPlay™ demonstration boards. The demo board is fully isolated from the
host PC’s ground. The evaluation software automatically
2
C) ports as well as
DEMONSTRATION CIRCUIT
TO SMBUS
detects which demo board is connected and loads the
appropriate control screen.
The LTpowerPlay system provides a quick and easy way
to evaluate the performance of a wide variety of Linear
Technology’s products
L, LT, LTC, LTM, Linear Technology and the Linear logo are registered trademarks and
LTpowerPlay is a trademark of Linear Technology Corporation. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
TO USB
dc1613af
1

DEMO MANUAL DC1613A
QUICK START PROCEDURE
For proper equipment setup, follow the procedure
below:
1. Do NOT plug in the DC1613A to the PC, before running
the installation program.
2. Download the LTpowerPlay installation program from
http://www.linear.com/software/.
3. Run the LTpowerPlay installation program and follow
the on-screen instructions.
The LTpowerPlay demo software requires a PC that is
running Windows XP (or later), and has an available USB
port.
4. Connect the demonstration circuit to be evaluated to
the DC1613A using the supplied 12-conductor ribbon
cable. The demo software detects the circuit and starts
the appropriate control screen.
Each demonstration board also comes with a Quick Start
guide similar to this one. For usage details relevant to a
particular circuit refer to its Quick Start guide.
SOFTWARE TOOLS
The LTpowerPlay demo software includes tools for automatic software updates and for quickly retrieving relevant
documentation from the World Wide Web.
NOTE: Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the documents and is available at http://www.adobe.com.
To use the tools:
• Quit the demonstration circuit software or disconnect the
USB cable so that the main control panel appears:
To update the software (requires internet connection):
• Choose Update from the Tools menu.
This automatically updates the main program and
drivers for individual demo circuits.
dc1613af
2

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
DEMO MANUAL DC1613A
Problem: DC1613A is plugged in, but LTpowerPlay screen
still says “USB Serial Controller Not Connected.”
Solution: The most likely cause is improper installation of
the USB drivers, which causes Windows to recognize the
DC1613A as an “Unknown Device.” Open the Windows
Control Panel, open “System” and click the “Device manager” tab. Open the “Other Devices” item and look for USB
SERIAL CONTROLLER. Select this item and click the remove
button. Unplug the DC1613A, reinstall the LTpowerPlay
software and follow the on-screen instructions.
Problem: Demo board software loads properly, but will
not run or gives “Device Not accessible” errors.
Solution: Verify that the demo board is properly powered
up. This Quick Start guide lists the basic power connections to DC1613A. Some demo boards may have additional
requirements; refer to the demo board’s Quick Start guide
for details.
Problem: After connecting the demo board to DC1613A
with the supplied 12-pin ribbon cable, LTpowerPlay software still displays “Evaluation Board is not Connected.”
Solution: Contact Linear Technology Applications
Engineering.
dc1613af
3