Austriamicrosystems has announced AS3610 and AS3611 step-down DC/DC chargers for charging Li-ion batteries in mobile devices with up to 1.25A output current. The ICs feature internal current measurement, and USB host and OTG (on-the-go) boost mode operation. The AS3610 charger provides an I²C interface for external control and the AS3611 operates independently. The DC/DC chargers are suitable for high-end blood glucose meters, remote controls, GPS outdoor navigation or tracking equipment, mobile phones, e-dictionaries and e-book readers. The charger ICs are designed with inputs from the handset and portable markets to use a high efficiency, switch mode charger with minimum ripple, says the company. Implementation is claimed to be simple and features are controlled by pin strapping or one time programmable memory. There is also a current limit set, charging current and OTG boost. The step-down charger supports 900mA input current limitation for USB 3.0. Other features of the switching chargers include 22V over-voltage protection; reverse polarity protection; chip and battery temperature supervision; and charger time-out supervision. The chargers are available in a 3x3mm MLPD14 package, and operate from 2.7 to 5.5V over a range of -40 to +85ºC. A wafer-level chip scale package option is available for PCB space-critical applications.
