Texas Instruments - High-efficiency synchronous NVDC-1 battery charge controllers (bq2477x)

The latest product from Texas Instruments is the bq2477x series of high-efficiency, synchronous NVDC-1 battery charging controllers, which can provide a smaller number of components for a variety of space-constrained chemical battery charging applications. Power path management allows the system to be regulated to battery voltage, but not below the minimum system voltage (programmable). With this function, the system can continue to run even if the battery is completely discharged or removed. Power path management allows the battery to provide supplemental current to the system to prevent input power from being overloaded. This device provides driver and power path management for N-channel ACFETs and reverse blocking FETs. The device provides drivers to control NVDC operation of an external P-channel battery FET. It also drives the high-side and low-side MOSFETs of the switching regulator. The bq2477x monitors adapter current (IADP), battery charge / discharge current (IBAT), and system power (PMON). The company states that the flexible PROCHOT output can be directly routed to the CPU for throttling when needed.