LTC Debuts LTC4060 NiMH/NiCd Battery Charger

Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) introduced its new LTC4060, an autonomous one-cell to four-cell, 0.4 A to 2 A, linear nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery charger. The LTC4060 battery charger circuit operates without the aid of a microcontroller or firmware. The LTC4060 also eliminates the need for a sense resistor and blocking diode. The IC is targeted at applications, including portable medical equipment, automotive diagnostic systems, and industrial/telecom test devices.

The LTC4060 is offered in both a 16-lead TSSOP and a 5 mm x 3 mm DFN. It uses an external PNP transistor to supply current to the battery or battery pack. The operating voltage ranges from 4.5 V to 10 V. The LTC4060 provides three options for terminating the charge cycle: negative deltaV, maximum voltage or maximum time. Moreover, the IC permits the use of a thermistor for temperature. The charge current is adjustable with a resistor and has ±5% accuracy. The LTC4060 also has automatic battery detection, charge and ac present status output, pre-charge qualification, automatic recharge, reverse current protection and manual shutdown. Battery drain current is less than 1µA during sleep mode.

The LTC4060 is rated for operation from -40 °C to +85 °C. Pricing starts at $3.80 each in 1,000-piece quantities.