LTC4015 is a new highly integrated high voltage multi-chemical synchronous step-down battery charger controller with onboard telemetry from Linear Technology.
This device can effectively transfer power from various input sources (such as wall adapters and solar panels) to lithium-ion / polymer, LiFePO4 or lead-acid battery packs, with system loads up to 35V. It provides advanced system monitoring and management functions, including battery coulomb counting and health monitoring. A host microcontroller is required to access the most advanced features of the LTC4015, but an I²C port is optional. The main charging function of this product can be adjusted using pin settings and programming resistors.
The device provides accurate ± 5% charge current regulation up to 20A, ± 4.5% charge voltage regulation, and an operating voltage over an input voltage range of 4.5V to 35V. Applications include portable medical devices, military equipment, battery backup applications, industrial handheld devices, industrial lighting, rugged notebook / tablet computers, and remotely powered communications and telemetry systems.
The LTC4015 includes an accurate 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a high-precision coulomb counter. The ADC continuously monitors numerous system parameters, including input voltage, input current, battery voltage, battery current, and reports battery temperature and battery series resistance (BSR) on command. By monitoring these parameters, the LTC4015 can report the health status of the battery and its charging status. All system parameters can be monitored via a 2-wire I²C interface, while programmable and maskable alarms ensure that only relevant information will cause an interruption.
The LTC4015's on-board charging curve is optimized for a variety of battery chemistries, including lithium ion / polymer, LiFePO4, and lead acid. Configuration pins allow the user to choose between several predefined charging algorithms for each battery chemistry and several algorithms whose parameters can be adjusted via I²C. The charging voltage and charging current can be automatically adjusted according to the battery temperature to comply with JEITA guidelines or custom settings.
The LTC4015 is packaged in a 5mm x 7mm QFN package with an exposed metal pad to provide higher thermal performance. Class E and Class I equipment is guaranteed to operate in a temperature range of -40C to 125C.
