Texas Instruments unveils boost charger IC for nano power energy harvesting
The bq25504 also includes circuitry to protect the energy storage element from over voltage and under voltage conditions and to kick-start the system when the battery is deeply discharged.
In a solar panel powering a handheld device that is operating in indoor light conditions, for example, the new boost charger increases the usable harvested energy by 30 to 70 percent compared to a linear regulator. The efficiency allows designers to reduce the size and the number of solar panels in their designs, thus reducing overall solution cost. The device can benefit wireless sensor networks (WSN) for area, industrial, water/waste and structural monitoring, along with consumer, high reliability and medical applications.
“Wireless sensor networks have been limited in their penetration due to the cost associated with maintaining and replacing the batteries within sensor nodes,” said Sami Kiriaki, senior vice president over TI’s Power Management business. “With the bq25504 boost charger, the nodes can power autonomously, which can reduce the operating cost and thereby make ultra low-power wireless sensor networks cost-effective in more applications, such as industrial monitoring of hazardous or restricted areas.”
Availability and Pricing
The bq25504 boost converter is available now in a 3-mm x 3-mm VQFN package, priced at $2.10 in quantities of 1,000.
More information about the bq25504 PMIC at www.ti.com/bq25504-preu
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