Nexperia has introduced the new types of battery life boosting ICs NBM7100 and NBM5100 designed to extend the life of a typical non-rechargeable lithium coin cell battery by up to 10x compared to competing solutions while also increasing its peak output current capability by up to 25x compared to what a typical coin cell can deliver without a battery booster. These ICs will significantly reduce the amount of battery waste in low-power Internet of Things (IoT) and other portable applications while making coin cells a viable power source for applications which could previously only operate from AA- or AAA- batteries.
These ICs contain two high-efficiency DC/DC conversion stages and an intelligent learning algorithm. The first conversion stage transfers energy from the battery to a capacitive storage element at a low rate. The second stage utilizes the stored energy to provide a regulated (programmable from 1.8 V to 3.6 V) high pulse (up to 200 mA) current output. The intelligent learning algorithm monitors the energy used during repetitive load pulse cycles and optimizes first stage DC/DC conversion to minimize the residual charge in the storage capacitor. When not performing an energy conversion cycle (standby state), these devices consume less than 50 nA.
Both devices are specified over -40 °C to 85 °C, making them suitable for commercial indoor and industrial outdoor environments. A ‘low battery’ indicator alerts the system when the battery reaches its functional endpoint. In addition, brownout protection inhibits charging of the storage capacitor when the battery is near the end of its life.