Microchip Offers Single- & Dual-Cell Li-Ion & LiFePO4 Chargers With OVP For Portable Devices
Microchip Technology Inc. announced two families of charge-management controllers featuring Overvoltage Protection (OVP), which prevents overheating and damage to the battery-charger circuit from input-voltage spikes. The MCP73113, MCP73114 and MCP73213 Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion); and MCP73123, MCP73223 Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Chargers feature high-accuracy voltage regulation and an integrated pass transistor. The combination of features enables smaller, safer portable electronic device designs with longer run times for the consumer, medical and industrial markets.
Microchip’s new chargers address increased consumer focus on the safety and efficiency of battery-powered applications. All of the new devices have a maximum input voltage of 18V and come with one of two OVP set points – 5.8 and 6.5V for the single-cell MCP73114 and MCP73113/23 chargers; or 13V for the dual-cell MCP73213 and MCP73123 chargers. Additionally, the MCP73113, MCP73114 and MCP73213 devices provide a variety of charging-voltage options for Li-Ion batteries – 4.1 to 4.4V for the single-cell and 8.2 to 8.8V for the dual-cell devices. The MCP73123 and MCP73223 devices target LiFePO4 batteries, and offer charging-voltage options of 3.6 and 7.2V, respectively.
"The MCP731XX and MCP732XX battery chargers address customers’ needs for simple, efficient charging solutions, while adding an extra layer of safety in the form of overvoltage protection," said Bryan Liddiard, marketing vice president of Microchip’s Analog and Interface Products Division. "Microchip also addresses the evolving battery market by providing a variant for charging the up-and-coming LiFePO4 battery chemistry."
The MCP73113 and MCP73114 Li-Ion, and MCP73123 LiFePO4 single-cell chargers feature high-accuracy voltage regulation of 0.5%; the dual-cell MCP73213 Li-Ion and MCP73223 LiFePO4 devices 0.6%. These highly accurate levels of regulation enable longer battery life per charge, ultimately allowing portable products to run for longer periods of time between charges. Additionally, all of the chargers feature an integrated pass transistor, which eliminates the need for an external FET, and reduces overall design cost, size and complexity.
The new chargers are well suited for devices in the consumer (e.g. GPS units, portable media players, phone chargers, toys, photo and video cameras, Bluetooth® headsets); medical (e.g. portable glucose meters, blood-pressure and heart-rate monitors); and industrial markets (e.g. point-of-sale terminals, handheld barcode scanners and other portable devices).
The MCP731XX and MCP732XX chargers are all available in 10-pin, 3 x 3 mm DFN packages. The MCP73113, MCP73114 and MCP73123 devices are priced at $0.80 each, in 10,000-unit quantities; the MCP73213 and MCP73223 at $1.28 each, in 10,000-unit quantities.
