Cost-Saving, Multichemistry, Battery Charger System

Active: In Production.

The MAX846A is a cost-saving multichemistry battery-charger system that comes in a space-saving 16-pin QSOP. This integrated system allows different battery chemistries (Li-Ion, NiMH or NiCd cells) to be charged using one circuit.

In its simplest application, the MAX846A is a stand-alone, current-limited float voltage source that charges Li-Ion cells. It can also be paired up with a low-cost microcontroller (µC) to build a universal charger capable of charging Li-Ion, NiMH, and NiCd cells.

An internal 0.5%-accurate reference allows safe charging of Li-Ion cells that require tight voltage accuracy. The voltage- and current-regulation loops used to control a low-cost external PNP transistor (or P-channel MOSFET) are independent of each other, allowing more flexibility in the charging algorithms.

The MAX846A has a built-in 1%, 3.3V, 20mA linear regulator capable of powering the µC and providing a reference for the µC's analog-to-digital converters. An on-board reset notifies the controller upon any unexpected loss of power. The µC can be inexpensive, since its only functions are to monitor the voltage and current and to change the charging algorithms.

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