Summit Introduces Industry’s Smallest Programmable 500mA Battery Charger

Tiny chip size with just two external components reduces cost and design
complexity for Li-Ion and Li-Polymer systems.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. – APRIL 6, 2009 – SUMMIT MICROELECTRONICS has introduced
a new addition to its family of programmable battery charger integrated
circuits (IC) for single-cell Li-Ion and Li-Polymer powered systems. The
SMB239 is the industry’s smallest charger IC and solution, enabling slimmer
industrial designs for portable consumer electronics. The device’s battery
charging parameters are fully programmable via the I2C interface and
non-volatile memory, allowing easy system design, without any hardware
changes. Additionally, a class-leading set of safety features are
incorporated, offering the highest system reliability and protection and
eliminating the need for expensive, external safety components.

Features
The SMB239 comprises a highly integrated, 500mA linear charging solution
that utilizes a fully programmable algorithm for single-cell Li-Ion and
Li-Polymer cells. All charging parameters – pre-charge/fast-charge/charge
termination current, cell float/pre-charge voltage, battery
temperature/timer safety limits – are configurable via the I²C/SMBus
interface, enabling a wide variety of algorithms without hardware changes.
Default (custom) configuration in non-volatile memory allows the same
product to be used in different system designs and/or with different
battery types and technologies, resulting in significantly lower
qualification/inventory costs and sourcing risks. Host/software control
capability allows in-system adjustment of the charging profile, minimizing
charging time and enhancing safety.

The SMB239 is offered in a tiny 2.1mm x 1.3mm CSP package and requires just
two small external chip capacitors for a complete battery charging system
design. Unlike other linear chargers offered in packages with a limited
number of pins — most of which need to be used for hardware-based
“programming” — the SMB239’s chip-scale package allows the integration of
a higher number of features, including critical charging protection
functionality. Furthermore, the device eliminates the need for multiple
external components necessary for setting charging parameters, thereby
reducing system cost and size.

“The SMB239 sets new standards for reduced solution footprint, increased
design flexibility and maximum system safety, and does so
cost-effectively,” stated George Paparrizos, Summit marketing director.
“The SMB239’s programmability also enables system designers to meet
emerging and future battery technology requirements.”

The SMB239 integrates the industry’s most complete set of safety features
to meet the strictest safety standards, including IEEE1725. These include
input and battery over-voltage protection and blocking (+10V), current
limit, chip and battery thermal protection, safety timers, battery missing
detection and a variety of status and fault registers. A STATUS output pin
is also available for indicating charge status and fault conditions.
Furthermore, the SMB239 allows the system to initiate battery charging only
when battery voltage is below a certain threshold, thereby eliminating
frequent charge cycles that may affect battery life.

Applications
The SMB239 is ideal for a wide range of portable devices, including
Bluetooth mono/stereo headsets and other accessories, mobile phones,
digital cameras, portable music players, portable GPS navigation, and
handheld medical equipment. The features, size and integration of the
SMB239 make it especially suited for devices that include a USB interface
because it allows a tiny, low-cost, industry-standard micro USB connector
to be the primary data and power/charging interface.

The SMB239 operates with an input range from +4.35V to +6.5V input and
safely withstands continuous input over-voltage up to +10V (non-operating),
while protecting downstream circuitry. Ensuring long battery life when not
connected to a DC power source, the device’s reverse leakage current is
less than 2microA. The SMB239 is offered in a tiny 2.1mm x 1.3mm, 8-ball,
lead-free chip-scale (CSP) package (0.5mm ball pitch) with an operating
temperature range of -30C to +85C.

Pricing and Availability
Available now in production quantities, the SMB239 is priced at $0.81 each
in quantities of 10,000 units.

Design Software and Programmer for Prototype Development
To speed user product development, Summit offers customers the SMB239EV
companion evaluation board and a graphical user interface (GUI) software so
designers can quickly see the features and benefits and design a prototype
battery charging solution with the SMB239. This is a complete development
tool that lets designers easily manipulate the characteristics of their
systems. The SMB239EV design kit includes menu-driven Microsoft Windows (R)
GUI software to automate programming tasks and also includes all necessary
hardware to interface to the USB port of a laptop or PC.

Once a user completes design and prototyping, the SMB239EV automatically
generates a HEX data file that can be transmitted to Summit for review and
approval. Summit then assigns a unique customer identification code to the
HEX file and programs the customer’s production devices prior to final
electrical test operations. This ensures that the device will operate
properly in the end application.

About Summit Microelectronics
Summit Microelectronics is the leader in flexible, highly integrated power
management solutions combining precision power regulation with
sophisticated digital control in a single chip. The Company’s devices are
found in a variety of consumer, communications and computing applications.

Summit’s unique programmable, non-volatile mixed-signal IC technology
combined with a convenient GUI development environment allows for
unparalleled functional and parametric flexibility in power supply design.
This flexibility applied to common problems such as dynamic voltage/current
control and intelligent battery charging, allows for significant system
performance improvement while realizing drastic reductions in design
effort.

Digital programmability enables high integration and system flexibility in
a single chip – impossible with conventional “hard-wired” analog power
ICs. Additionally, this integration reduces the bill-of-materials yielding
the lowest total system cost and size. Summit solutions address the
biggest challenges facing OEM developers today: increasing system
functionality, performance and complexity accompanied by shrinking
development time cycles.

The URL for this product is
http://www.summitmicro.com/prod_select/summary/SMB239/SMB239.htm

The URL for the product photo and an application block diagram is
http://www.summitmicro.com/prod_select/summary/SMB239/SMB239.jpg

The URL for the product fact sheet is
http://www.summitmicro.com/prod_select/summary/SMB239/SMB239FactSheet.pdf

The URL for this news release is
http://www.summitmicro.com/comp_info/press/09-0406

-ends-

Summit Microelectronics
757 N. Mary Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
T: 1.408.523.1000
WWW.SUMMITMICRO.COM