Tune that dial - Index of

info & market news & new products
Single-cell 1-A Li-Ion / Li-polymer charge management controllers
M i c r o c h i p a n n o u n c e s t h e
MCP73833 and MCP73834 single-cell,
high current (1 amp), Li-
Ion/Li-Polymer linear charge-management
controllers. These fully
integrated devices combine several
key charge-management and
safety features in a single chip for
reliable charging of high-capacity
single-cell Li-Ion and Li-Polymer
batteries.
By including a pass transistor, current-sense
and reverse-discharge
protection on a single chip, the
MCP73833/4 charge-management
controllers eliminate the need
for external components. Multiple
combinations of key charging parameters,
including pre-conditioning
current threshold and ratio,
charge-termination threshold and
recharge threshold ratio are available,
meaning the devices provide
standard product support for a variety
of high-current Li-Ion/Li-Polymer
charging applications. In addition,
with a high charging current
of up to 1 A and support for
Are you CO sure?
If you have a Carbon Monoxide
(CO) concern and need to know
more, Lascar Electronics’ EL-USB-
CO carbon monoxide data logger
could help in determining the nature
of the problem.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a poisonous
gas which is both odourless
and colourless. It is produced
by equipment/machinery that
isn’t working correctly and can
be found anywhere from construction
sites and furnace rooms to office
blocks and homes. Lascar’s
EL-USB-CO data logger monitors
and records CO levels in an environment
over a period of time.
DAB/FM radio module
Frontier Silicon announces the
launch of Naples FS2011, an integrated
standalone dual-band
DAB/FM radio module. The unit
is a complete DAB module operating
in both master and slave
modes and incorporating Frontier
Silicon’s Apollo RF front-end, Chorus
DAB baseband processor and
NXP Semiconductor’s TEA 5764
FM radio IC. The module is meas-
multiple regulated output voltages
(4.2 V, 4.35 V, 4.4 V and 4.5 V),
the devices can be used with various
generations of Lithium battery
technology.
Safety features on the new devices
to prevent overcharging and
overheating include charge timers,
battery-temperature feedback
and thermal-current regulation. The
charge timer shuts the charger off
This can help the user to determine
where and when peak levels
of CO occur, allowing corrective
action to be carried out to remedy
the problem.
The EL-USB-CO stores over 32,000
readings and can record CO levels
from 0 to 1000 ppm. Setup of
the data logger is completed using
the supplied EL-USB software,
with the EL-USB-CO plugging directly
into the USB port of a PC.
Here the user can assign the logger
a name, choose a sample rate
(from a choice of once every: 10
secs, 30 secs, 1 mins, 5 mins), as
well as determining a high-alarm
uring 35mm x 38mm x 2.7mm on
a single-sided PCB.
The DAB signal processing functions
and protocol stack are implemented
in firmware running on the
Chorus processor, which also runs
the control interface to Naples. In
a master configuration the module
requires a power source, antenna,
LCD and keypad to create a fully
featured digital radio. Alternative-
if a charge is not terminated before
timeout is reached. The battery-temperature
feedback reduces
the charge current if the battery’s
temperature reaches the limit of
safety and the thermal-current regulation
feature decreases the charge
current if the charge-controller itself
reaches its thermal limits.
Device-specific features include
a power-good output on the
level. Once setup is complete the
EL-USB-CO should be left in the
environment where the study is to
take place.
The EL-USB-CO is available for pur-
ly, the module can be controlled
by an existing microcontroller as
a slave module via a serial port
or SCB (serial control bus) compliant
device allowing it to be integrated
into larger audio systems.
The module also supports various
software features such as DAB dynamic
DLS radio service text, 256
kbps decode capacity, stored presets
and manual tuning when con-
MCP73833 and a timer-enable
input on the MCP73834. Both
devices also offer a low dropout
regulator (LDO) test mode that enables
application system test even
in the absence of a battery; and
both feature two status outputs to
provide the user with additional
information about the state of the
charge-controller.
To support development, Microchip
offers the MCP73833 Evaluation
Board (Part # MCP73833EV). The
board is available today at www.
microchipdirect.com.
The MCP73833/4 charge-management
controllers are available
in 10-pin MSOP and thermally
efficient 3 x 3 mm DFN packages.
They are available for sampling at
sample.microchip.com and for volume
ordering at www.microchipdirect.com.
For more information, visit Microchip’s
website at
www.microchip.com/MCP73833.
(067227-VII)
chase at £49.00 from the Lascar
website (www.lascarelectronics.
com).
(067227-III)
figured in system applications.
www.frontier-silicon.com
10 elektor electronics - 12/2006
(067227-I)