Renesas Electronics intros compact lithium-ion battery charging control IC supporting USB charging

TOKYO, JAPAN: Renesas Electronics Corp. has announced a charging control
integrated circuit (IC), the R2A20055NS, that achieves further miniaturization and safe charging control for single-cell lithium-ion batteries used in portable devices.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in a wide range of portable equipment, from cell phones to digital still cameras, media players, personal navigation devices and tablet PCs. Lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density and can contribute to equipment miniaturization.

At the same time, however, they can generate excessive heat and catch fire if they are overcharged. For this reason, JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association) has formulated guidelines that stipulate that charging rates be reduced when the battery temperature is in specific low-temperatures or high-temperature ranges.

In addition, there are increasing needs in this equipment for charging using USB bus power when connected to a personal computer by a USB cable, and for charging within the range of power that can be supplied by a USB bus.

While Renesas has mainly focused on IC products for battery chargers and digital still cameras, the company is now releasing the R2A20055NS device, which targets the full range of portable equipment in response to these market needs.