Li-ion battery charger extends life of eCall systems

The ISL78692 supports emerging worldwide emergency call systems such as Europe’s eCall initiative and the US's OnStar, which automatically place a call to emergency services following an accident. Monitoring the battery’s temperature, combined with its 4.1V output voltage, allows the battery charger to extend the life of popular LiFeP04 batteries.

Requiring just five external components to programme the charging current and supplied in a compact 3x3mm DFN package, the complete charger solution for single-cell Li-ion batteries can easily fit on space-constrained PCBs. A charge current thermal foldback feature prevents overheating by automatically reducing the battery charging current.

Operating over a temperature range from -40 to +85°C, the AEC-Q100 grade 3 qualified ISL78692 integrates a power transistor and current sensor. It is guaranteed for operation down to 2.65V after start-up, preventing shut off during cold-crank start. The NTC thermistor input protects the battery by monitoring temperature and shutting off the charger when the battery is outside the specified charging temperature range.

Philip Chesley, Vice President, Precision Products, Intersil, commented: “OEMs want an automotive-qualified battery charger that prevents rapid discharging of the vehicle’s backup battery when parked for an extended period of time. The ISL78692 leverages Intersil’s proprietary power management technology to deliver a solution with the industry’s lowest leakage current and most optimised feature set for eCall automotive applications.”

Supplied in a 10-pin 3x3mm DFN package, the ISL78692 Li-ion battery charger is available now for $0.99 in 1,000 unit quantities. Intersil also offers the ISL78692EVAL1Z evaluation board for $56.