Battery Charger features intelligent charge management.

Tag : charger
Press Release
Release date: August 4, 2008


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

Intelligent Charge Management Feature Enables Simultaneous AC-DCAdapter or
USB-Port Battery Charging, and Powering of Devices

CHANDLER, Ariz., August 4, 2008 [NASDAQ: MCHP] - MicrochipTechnology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analogsemiconductors, today announced the MCP73871 charge-managementcontroller-a Li-Ion/Li-Polymer charger with an intelligent chargemanagement feature that enables simultaneous AC-DC-adapter orUSB-port charging and powering of devices. The single-chip chargerfeatures an integrated pass transistor, and numerous battery andtermination-voltage options-making it ideal for complex,space-constrained portable applications.

By enabling electronic devices to be simultaneously powered andcharged via either an AC-to-DC adapter or through a USB port, theMCP73871 charge-management controller simplifies the charging andpowering of today's portable electronic devices. With highlyaccurate voltage regulation of 0.5%, the new charger extendsbattery life by allowing the battery to be charged closer to itsoptimal limit. Additionally, with its integrated pass transistor,the charger eliminates the need for an external FET, and only a fewsmall passive components are necessary. This results in smaller,less complex and less expensive designs.

"Our customers have requested a compact, single-chip charger tomeet the needs of today's advanced portable consumer-electronicdevices, many of which now offer traditional wall-plug charging,plus USB port charging and connectivity," said Bryan Liddiard, vicepresident of marketing with Microchip's Analog and InterfaceProducts Division. "The MCP73871 charger meets these needs, headon. Microchip's battery-charger offering now includes products thatprovide everything from simple, USB-based battery charging, tocomplex power-path solutions."

The MCP73871 charge-management controller is ideal for portableconsumer electronic products, such as GPS units, phone chargers,toys, cameras, PDAs, Bluetooth