Introduction
Many handheld devices are using a single-cell Li+ battery, and they demand a simple and economic charging solution. A cradle charger is one choice and it is getting more attention from system design engineers because they do not need to worry about built-in charging logic in their handheld devices. The cradle charger provides a complete standalone Li+ charger solution.This application note describes an inductorless and virtually lossless single-cell Li+ cradle charger using a low-cost linear adapter.
Linear Input Power Supply for the Cradle Charger
Figure 1 depicts a block diagram of the off-line cradle charger. In the off-line cradle charger market, vendors use a separate AC/DC adapter or built-in AC/DC conversion in the cradle enclosure. The most economic solution for the AC/DC adapter is a linear transformer.![Figure 1. Off-line cradle charger block diagram.](/article/UploadPic/2009-4/2009430105132641.gif)
Figure 1. Off-line cradle charger block diagram.
As shown in Figure 2, this simple linear AC adapter does not have a voltage and current regulation circuit, but if the AC input voltage variation and the output impedance of the AC linear transformer adapter are known its output characteristics can be predicted.
![Figure 2. AC linear transformer adapter block diagram.](/article/UploadPic/2009-4/2009430105132228.gif)
Figure 2. AC linear transformer adapter block diagram.
Figure 3 shows the equivalent circuit diagram of the Figure 2 linear transformer. Zout is the output impedance of the AC linear adapter.
![Figure 3. Equivalent circuit diagram of the linear transformer adapter.](/article/UploadPic/2009-4/2009430105132649.gif)
Figure 3. Equivalent circuit diagram of the linear transformer adapter.
We can design a transformer that has a turn ratio n.
n= Np/Ns= Vin/Vs
If Vin=120Vac and Vs=12Vac, then n is 10. If the Vin's variation is ±10%, the Vs will vary ±10% as well.
The output voltage of the Figure 2 adapter at Rload:
Vout = (1/n) × Vin × Rload/ (Zout + Rload)
For example, if Vout1 = 9V at 1mA and Vout2 = 4.5V at 500mA load under the nominal AC input, the output impedance of the AC linear transformer adapter should be
Zout = (Vout1 - Vout2)/(500mA - 1mA)
= (9 - 4.5)/ 0.499
= 9Ω
Figure 4 shows the output voltage and current characteristics of an example linear adapter, rated input = 120VAC 60Hz and output = 3.7V at 350mA, that was designed as in Figure 2.
![Figure 4. Output characteristics of a 3.7V at 300mA linear adapter.](/article/UploadPic/2009-4/2009430105132946.gif)
Figure 4. Output characteristics of a 3.7V at 300mA linear adapter.
Table 1. Output Load vs. Output Voltage
Output Load |
Output Voltage (Vrms) |
0A |
7.812V |
100mA |
6.218V |
200mA |
5.160V |
300mA |
4.140V |
400mA |
3.160V |
500mA |
2.120V |
600mA |
0.99V |
670mA |
0V |
Since the output voltage and current are limited, the output power is limited. Even though this linear AC adapter has poor line and load regulation, it is a very good choice for the input power supply of the MAX1879 Li+ charger. The thermal fuse and the PTC (positive temperature coefficient) resistor in Figure 2 may be used for over-temperature protection and UL safety requirements.
The MAX1879 Li+ Charger
The MAX1879 battery charger for a single-cell Li+ comes in an 8-pin μMAX package. This device, in conjunction with the AC linear transformer adapter and a PMOS FET, allows safe and fast charging of a single Li+ cell. The MAX1879 is not only an inductorless required solution, but also the lowest power dissipated solution among single-cell Li+ battery chargers. Figure 5 shows an actual application circuit, which includes a charging state LED, a thermistor, and a reverse current protection diode.![Figure 5. The MAX1879 high efficient Li+ charger.](/article/UploadPic/2009-4/2009430105132554.gif)
Figure 5. The MAX1879 high efficient Li+ charger.
The MAX1879 initiates charging in one of three ways: battery insertion, charger power-up, or external manipulation of the THERM pin. CHG\ LED turns off when the on/off duty cycle falls to 1/8, and charging terminates when the on-chip counter times out. Key safety features include continuous voltage and temperature monitoring, a programmable charger time-out, and a 8mA precharge current mode to charge near-dead cells. Automatic detection of input power removal shuts down the device, minimizing current drain from the battery. An overall system accuracy of 0.75% ensures that the cell capacity is fully utilized without cycle life degradation.
![Figure 6. The output waveform of the 3.7V at 350mA AC adapter and the charging current with the MAX1879 charger shown in Figure 5.](/article/UploadPic/2009-4/2009430105132956.gif)
Figure 6. The output waveform of the 3.7V at 350mA AC adapter and the charging current with the MAX1879 charger shown in Figure 5.
評(píng)論