Advanced charger designs address modern battery technologies

Charge control for rechargeable batteries requires close attention to the power conversion and the charge termination methods. Without closely coupling these methods, a reliable, cost-effective battery charger is difficult to produce. Determining the proper charge control requires a good knowledge of the battery charge characteristics as well as a good understanding of the power conversion techniques available. Using an off-the-shelf power IC provides reliable charge control while reducing the design complexity, design cycle time, and the costs associated with a custom implementation.