Switch-mode battery charge controllers offer faster, cooler charging

Three new switch-mode standalone battery charger ICs for lithium-based battery-powered applications with a 5 to 28 V input are now available from Texas Instruments Inc. These devices provide highly accurate and efficient charging in a small package for mass market applications, such as industrial handhelds, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), netbooks, power tools, and portable medical devices.

These devices offer a constant-frequency synchronous switching pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller with highly accurate charge current and voltage regulation, charge preconditioning, termination, adapter current regulation, and charge status monitoring. The battery is charged in three phases: preconditioning, constant current, and constant voltage. A programmable charge timer provides a safety backup.

Key features and benefits:
• Higher efficiency results in less heat dissipation than other solutions
• Greater than 99% charge voltage and current accuracy optimize battery life cycle
• Integrated, standalone solution enhances design flexibility and reduces overall size
• Dynamic power management maximizes use of adapter power to power the system while charging the battery

For more information, contact Texas Instruments Inc., 12500 TI Blvd., Dallas, TX 75243. Phone: (972) 644-5580.