Intelligent Battery Charger Reference Design

Typically, simple battery chargers do not provide the intelligence to charge different battery technologies or batteries with the same technology but different volt-ages and capacities. At best, this may leave the battery improperly charged. At worst, it can pose a serious safety hazard. A microcontroller can provide the intelli-gence to overcome these problems. In addition to intelligent control, the microcontroller can provide a low-cost, flexible solution for charging batteries.

This guide describes the Microchip Technology PICREF-2 Intelligent Battery Charger (IBC) Reference Design, which offers a ready-made battery charger solution. It is aimed at battery charger applications such as camcorders, portable audio equipment, portable phones, and portable power tools.