SNAS264D April 2006 – February 2024 LM94
PRODUCTION DATA
The ALERT output is an active-low open drain output signal. The ALERT output is used to signal a micro-controller that one or more sensors have crossed their corresponding limit thresholds. This is generally not a fatal event unless the micro-controller decides it to be.
If enabled, the ALERT output is asserted whenever any bit in any BMC Error Status register is set (with the exception of the fixed PROCHOT threshold bits). By definition, when ALERT is enabled, it always matches the inverse of the BMC_ERR bit in the LM94 Status/Control register. When the ALERT output is disabled, an alert event can still be determined by reading the state of the BMC_ERR bit.
The ALERT functions like an interrupt. The LM94 does not support the SMBus ARA (Alert Response Address) protocol.
ALERT is only de-asserted when there are no error status bits set in any BMC Error Status registers. Alternatively, software can disable the ALERT output to cause it to de-assert. The ALERT output re-asserts once enabled if any BMC Error Status register bits are still set.
The ALERT output also functions in comparator mode for thermal events, that is the ALERT output will be asserted for unmasked thermal error events and will de-assert immediately when the error event ceases. The operation of the ALERT output is controlled by the LM94 Configuration register.
Further information on how the ALERT output behaves can be found in Section 7.1.7.