Li-Ion Battery Charger delivers 4 A with 96% efficiency.

Press Release Summary:




Step-down LTC4007 battery pack charger drives external MOSFETs synchronously to achieve efficiencies up to 96%. Suited for charging 3- or 4-cell Li-Ion battery packs from input voltages between 6 and 28 V, microcontroller-independent charger integrates all functions for charging control, termination, temperature monitoring, and battery conditioning as well as status and fault reporting. Unit has switching frequency of 300 kHz and produces no audible noise.



Original Press Release:



Li-Ion Battery Charger Delivers Up to 4A with 96% Efficiency



MILPITAS, CA - April 2, 2003 - Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC4007, a standalone, full-featured 4A Li-Ion battery pack charger with operating efficiencies as high as 96%. The LTC4007 is a step-down battery charger that drives external MOSFETs synchronously to achieve high efficiency. The IC is ideal for charging 3- or 4-cell Li-Ion battery packs from input voltages ranging from 6V to 28V. As a microcontroller-independent charger, the LTC4007 integrates all the functions for charging control, termination, temperature monitoring and battery conditioning as well as status and fault reporting. The IC's high switching frequency of 300kHz reduces the size of inductor and capacitors for a compact design solution, which occupies only 5.6cm². Application examples include battery charger cradles, uninterruptible power supplies, portable data terminals and notebook PCs.

The LTC4007's unique no-audible noise architecture permits use of ceramic capacitors on the input and the output. The LTC4007's charging current is programmable to ±5% accuracy. The preset float voltages are accurate to ±0.8%. The LTC4007 features a current limiting function, which maximizes the charge rate without overloading the AC/DC adapter while the end product is in operation. Furthermore, the IC's I/O signals report charging, C/10 current detection, AC adapter present, low battery, input current limiting and faults. The LTC4007 also includes a thermistor input, which suspends charging if an unsafe temperature condition is detected. For simple setup, the output float voltage is pin programmable for cell count of 3 or 4 cells and cell voltage of 4.1V or 4.2V.

The LTC4007 is offered in a 24-pin SSOP package. Pricing starts at $3.80 each for 1,000-piece quantities.

Summary of Features: LTC4007
o Complete Charger Controller for 3- or 4-Cell Li-Ion Batteries
o High Conversion Efficiency up to 96%
o Up to 4A Charge Current
o 0.8% Charging Voltage Accuracy
o Built-in Charge Termination
o AC Adapter Current Limiting Maximizes Charge Rate
o Programmable Charge Current with 5% Accuracy

COMPANY BACKGROUND: Linear Technology Corporation was founded in 1981 as a manufacturer of high performance linear integrated circuits. Linear Technology products include operational, instrumentation and audio amplifiers; voltage regulators, power management devices, DC-DC converters and voltage references; comparators; monolithic filters; communications interface circuits; one-chip data acquisition sub-systems; pulse-width modulators and sample-and-hold devices; and high frequency devices. Applications for Linear Technology's high performance circuits include wireless and broadband telecommunications infrastructure, cellular telephones, networking products and satellite systems, notebook and desk top computers, computer peripherals, video/multimedia, industrial and medical instrumentation, automotive electronics, factory automation, process control, military and space systems, and high-end consumer products including digital cameras, MP3 players and other electronic products.

For more information, contact:
Doug Dickinson, Media Relations Manager
Linear Technology Corporation
1630 McCarthy Boulevard
Milpitas, CA 95035-7417
ddickinson@linear.com
408-432-1900

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