This Buck Converter Battery Charger reference design employs Zilog’s Z8F042A MCU to control a step-down DC-DC converter (also known as a buck converter) that acts as a regulated power source. The buck converter battery charger hardware is capable of regulating charger output in a number of modes, such as constant voltage, constant current, or constant voltage with a current limit.
The charger can be viewed as a complete control system. The type and capacity of the battery determines the mode of operation of the battery controller – namely, a constant current source or a constant voltage source. The voltage (VSET) and current (ISET) setpoints are also determined by the type and capacity of the battery. All battery control loop operations can be controlled by the user via the Z8F042A MCU’s UART block, and feedback is provided in the HyperTerminal console. Additionally, LEDs provide a visual status of the charging process.
The key features of this buck converter battery charger are:
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Z8F042A MCU featuring a highly accurate Sigma-Delta ADC
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Buck converter with proportional/integral controlled constant current and voltage
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Differential ADC for current measurements
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Complete programmability
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Current/voltage control independent of user input
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UART-controlled operation
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In-circuit programming for upgrading or modifying firmware
Get started developing your Buck Converter Battery Charger application today! Contact Zilog Customer Service to purchase this Buck Converter Battery Charger Reference Design.
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