Li-Ion/Li-Polymer charger, Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Debuts USB/AC Load-Sharing Li-Ion/Li-Polymer Battery Charger

News Release from: Microchip Technology Ltd
05/08/2008

Microchip announces the MCP73871 charge-management controller—a Li-Ion/Li-Polymer charger with an intelligent charge management feature that enables simultaneous AC-DC-adapter or USB-port charging and powering of devices. The single-chip charger features an integrated pass transistor and numerous battery and termination-voltage options, making it ideal for complex, space-constrained portable applications.

With highly accurate voltage regulation of 0.5%, the new charger extends battery life by allowing the battery to be charged closer to its optimal limit. Additionally, with its integrated pass transistor, the charger eliminates the need for an external FET, and only a few small passive components are necessary. This results in smaller, less complex and less expensive designs.

The MCP73871 charge-management controller is ideal for portable consumer electronic products, such as GPS units, phone chargers, toys, cameras, PDAs, Bluetooth® headsets, and many more. Microchip is also announcing the MCP73871 Evaluation Board (Part # MCP73871EV), to help engineers get started using the new charger in their designs.