Charger ICs for portable CEs optimize Li-ion batteries

A family of Li-ion battery charger ICs that address the need for highly accurate charging current and output voltages for portable consumer electronics has been introduced by Freescale Semiconductor Inc. The MC34671, MC34673 and MC34674 single-input autonomous battery charger ICs offer output voltage accuracy of ±0.4 percent over temperature and charging current accuracy of ±5 percent over temperature, and optimize battery life and performance.

The ICs can be customized at the factory to create hundreds of configurations to address a wide range of portable and ultra-mobile device requirements. A designer can select features and specifications such as pin-out, feature set, charging parameters and LED indication.

The programming flexibility of the Li-ion battery charger devices enables Freescale to create highly tailored charger ICs for specific application requirements. Target applications include cell phones, personal media players, navigation systems, digital still cameras, as well as travel chargers for these devices.

Built using Freescale's advanced SMARTMOS process technology, the battery charger ICs are designed to deliver up to 1.2A of charge current to single cell Li-ion or Li-polymer batteries. The battery charger input voltage can come from an AC adapter or a USB port power source. The high-input voltage capability of up to 28V is designed to eliminate the need for an external input over-voltage protection circuit required in handheld devices, which helps reduce system cost and board space, said Freescale.

The battery charger ICs are available in a low-profile 2mm x 3mm x 0.6mm ultra-thin, dual flat no-lead thermally-enhanced package.

Suggested resale price starts at 52 cents in quantities of 10,000. Samples are available with customer-selected specifications.

- Gina Roos
eeProductCenter