The CN3052A is a complete constant-current /constant voltage linear charger for single cell Li-ion and Li Polymer rechargeable batteries. The device contains an on-chip power MOSFET and eliminates the need for the external sense resistor and blocking diode.
Linear Technology offers a variety of devices that simplifyconverting power from a USB cable, but the LTC®3455represents the highest level of functional integration yet. The LTC3455 seamlessly manages power flowbetween an AC adapter, USB cable and Li-ion battery,while complying with USB power standards, all from a4mm × 4mm QFN package. In addtion, two high efficiencysynchronous buck converters generate low voltage railswhich most USB-powered peripherals require. TheLTC3455 also provides power-on reset signals for themicroprocessor, a Hot SwapTM output for poweringmemory cards as well as an uncommitted gain blocksuitable for use as a low-battery comparator or an LDOcontroller. The PCB real estate required for the entire USBpower control circuit and two DC/DC converters is only225mm2.
Although recent popular attention is focused on LithiumIon batteries, one must not forget that other batterychemistries, such as Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) and NickelMetal Hydride (NiMH) have advantages in rechargeablepower systems. Nickel-based batteries are robust, capableof high discharge rates, have good cycle life, do notrequire special protection circuitry and are less expensivethan Li-Ion. Among the two, NiMH batteries are rapidlyreplacing NiCd because of their higher capacity (40% to50% more) and the environmental concerns of the toxiccadmium contained in NiCd batteries.
A number of conventional solutions have been available forthe design of a DC/DC converter where the output voltageis within the input voltage range—a common scenarioin Li-Ion battery-powered applications—but none werevery attractive until now. Conventional topologies, suchas SEPIC or boost followed by buck, have numerousdisadvantages, including low effi ciency, complex magnetics,polarity inversion and/or circuit complexity/cost. TheLTC®3785 buck-boost controller yields a simple, effi cient,low parts-count, single-converter solution that is easyto implement, thus avoiding the drawbacks associatedwith traditional solutions.
The LTC®3562 quad output step-down regulator is designedfor multicore handheld microprocessor applications thatoperate from a single Li-Ion battery. Its four monolithic, higheffi ciency buck regulators support Intel’s mobile CPU P-Stateand C-State energy saving operating modes. The outputvoltages are independently controllable via I2C, and eachoutput can be independently started and shut down. Designerscan choose from power saving pulse-skipping mode orBurst Mode® operation, or select low noise LDO mode. Thespace-saving LTC3562 is available in a 3mm × 3mm QFNpackage and requires few external components.
Piezoelectric motors are used in digital cameras for autofocus,zooming and optical image stabilization. Theyare relatively small, lightweight and effi cient, but theyalso require a complicated driving scheme. Traditionally,this challenge has been met with the use ofseparatecircuits, including a step-up converter and an oversizedgeneric full-bridge drive IC. The resulting high componentcount and large board space are especially problematicin the design of cameras for ever shrinking cell phones.The LT®3572 solves these problems by combining astep-up regulator and a dual full-bridge driver in a 4mm× 4mm QFN package. Figure 1 shows a typical LT3572Piezo motor drive circuit. A step-up converter is usedto generate 30V from a low voltage power source suchas a Li-Ion battery or any input power source within thepart’s wide input voltage range of 2.7V to 10V. The highoutput voltage of the step-up converter, adjustable upto 40V, is available for the drivers at the VOUT pin. Thedrivers operate in a full-bridge fashion, where the OUTAand OUTB pins are the same polarity as the PWMA andPWMB pins, respectively, and the OUTA and OUTB pinsare inverted from PWMA and PWMB, respectively. Thestep-up converter and both Piezo drivers have their ownshutdown control. Figure 2 shows a typical layout
Automotive power systems are unforgiving electronicenvironments. Transients to 90V can occur when thenominal voltage range is 10V to 15V (ISO7637), along withbattery reversal in some cases. It’s fairly straightforwardto build automotive electronics around this system, butincreasingly end users want to operate portable electronics,such as GPS systems or music/video players,and to charge their Li-Ion batteries from the automotivebattery. To do so requires a compact, robust, effi cientand easy-to-design charging system
