Application Note 30
Application Note 30
Introduction
The Micrel MIC2179 is a current-mode, 200kHz, synchro-
nous, buck (step-down) regulator. In this application, the
MIC2179 is configured to provide both constant-current and
constant-voltage for a 2-cell lithium battery charger. The
current is sensed on the high side to avoid ground-bounce
noise and the associated problems usually found in ground
referenced circuits. Voltage is sensed using a simple voltage
controller to reduce the parts count and provide a 0.5%
voltage tolerance. The MIC2179 operates from a 4.5V to
16.5V input and has the following value-added features: dual-
mode (skip-mode, PWM-mode) operation for high efficiency
(up to 96%), low quiescent current (1.0mA in PWM mode,
600µA in skip mode), internal current limit, thermal shutdown,
undervoltage lockout (4.35V), low dropout (100% duty cycle)
and simplified loop compensation (current-mode control).
Lithium-Ion Charge States
The three charge states for a lithium-ion battery are trickle
charge, bulk-charge, and overcharge. Starting with a fully
discharged battery, a lithium battery charger needs to change
modes sequentially through these different charge states.
Trickle charge—a constant-current mode used to bring a
battery up to the cutoff voltage (VCUTOFF). The battery could
be in deep discharge (2.5V to 2.7V per cell) for many reasons
such as low state of charge, low ambient temperature,
shorted cells, or high internal leakage. Also, to maintain full
charge.
Bulkcharge—occurs while in constant-current mode and the
charger is delivering the maximum allowable current to the
battery (see manufacture’s specification). This method re-
places a majority of the battery’s charge as quickly as
possible until the overcharge voltage threshold is reached.
Overcharge—is a constant-voltage mode function that oc-
curs consecutively after bulk charge. As the Li-ion battery
nears full capacity, the current decreases, and the battery’s
terminal voltage increases until 4.2V per cell is reached.
When the current becomes low enough, less than trickle-
charge normally, the charging cycle is complete. Li-ion cells
should not be float charged. After the charge cycle is com-
plete, the charger should be shut down.
Theory of Operation
The lithium-ion battery charger can be divided in to four
blocks: a constant-current source, constant-voltage source,
a switching regulator and an end-of-charge circuit.
Constant-Current Block
To analyze this block, assume the constant-voltage block (U3
and supporting circuitry) are inactive. Starting with a dis-
Micrel, Inc. • 1849 Fortune Drive • San Jose, CA 95131 • USA • tel + 1 (408) 944-0800 • fax + 1 (408) 944-0970 • http://www.micrel.com
August 1999
Micrel
MIC2179 Lithium-Ion Battery Charger
by Jeff Dixon
charged battery connected to the charger, the circuit acts like
a constant-current source. An MIC2179 synchronous buck
regulator provides the regulated power. The constant-current
source’s feedback loop consists of R7 (current-sense resis-
tor), U2 (MIC6211 op amp), Q3 (VN2222 N-channel MOS-
FET), and the internal 1.24V reference of U1 (MIC2179
synchronous buck regulator).
First, the lithium-ion battery charger starts up in trickle-charge
mode. In trickle mode, the output of U2 (MIC6211) is on,
biasing Q2 on, allowing the output of the MIC2179 to source
157mA of charging current to the battery. The intelligent
system or microprocessor senses the low logic level at the
output of U4 and places the charger into the bulk-mode
charging state (1.5A). Sequencing from trickle mode to bulk
mode is accomplished by applying a logic high on Q2’s gate.
In bulk-mode, current ramps up to 1.50A (for a 2-cell lithium
application) through sense-resistor R7 (100mΩ) creating a
157mV drop.
Initially, the inverting input of U2 is lower than the noninverting
input causing the output to go higher, increasing drive to Q3.
This increases the current through the parallel combination of
R3 and R4 until 1.24V is developed across them. The
MIC2179 feedback pin senses the 1.24V and compares it to
the internal 1.24V bandgap reference and reduces output
duty cycle until 157mV is maintained across resistor R7.
Finally, there is 157mV at both inputs of the MIC6211 (op
amp), completing the negative feedback loop.
Trickle charge and bulk charge is calculated using:
 1.24V   R5 
Trickle Charge Current =    = 157mA
 R3   R7 
 1.24V   R5 
Bulk Charge Current =    = 1.55A
 R3 || R4   R7 
Constant-Voltage Source
Once the battery’s terminal reaches the 8.4V (2-cell lithium-
ion battery overcharge threshold), the constant-current source
circuit is biased off. As the output voltage of the charger tries
to go higher than 8.4V, the output of U3 (open-emitter
configuration) biases D3 on. The feedback pin of the MIC2179
is now pulled-up toward the 8.4V VOUT rail, reducing duty
cycle and maintaining output voltage regulation. The con-
stant voltage feedback loop consists of U3 (LM3420A), D3,
U1 (MIC2179), L1, R7, D2, and Q4.
Because overvoltage conditions greatly reduce the life span
of a lithium battery, an LM3420A was chosen for the voltage
feedback loop to help maintain terminal voltage to 0.5%.
In this charger design when the input supply is disconnected,
diode D2 is reverse biased to prevent battery discharge. Q4
1 Application Note 30
Application Note 30 Micrel
is bifunctional: it prevents the battery from being discharged
when the input supply is removed; and it alleviates a race
condition between the LM3420 and the start-up of the MIC2179
switching regulator. The LM3420 must be on before the 4.5
output of the MIC2179 comes up. 4.0 C/3
End-of-Charge Circuit 3.5

CELL VOLTAGE (V)

3.0 1C C/2
The end-of-charge circuit is used to signal the microproces-
2.5
sor or another subsystem when the lithium-ion battery pack
2.0
has reached the overcharge threshold. Again, in this 2-cell 1.5
lithium-ion application, the overcharge threshold is 8.4V. 1.0
Starting with a discharged battery and the charger in bulk- 0.5
charge mode, the constant-current is decreasing and the 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90100
voltage across the battery is increasing over time. The RATED CAPACITY (%)
change in current versus voltage is a function of the changing
internal impedance of the lithium-ion battery under charge. Figure 1. Typical Li-Ion Voltage
vs. Capacity for C1–C3 Rates2
U5 is being used as a differential amplifier to monitor the
output current by sensing the I·R drop across sense resistor
R7. The gain of U5 is set to 82.5. The gain of U5 is set to
120
maintain greater than 1.24V at its output down to a IOUT of NiCd
greater than 157mA. U4 compares the output of U5 against 100

CAPACITY RATIO (%)

the 1.24V bandgap reference on its noninverting pin gener- 80
ated by the internal bandgap reference of MIC2179. In bulk-
60 Li-Ion
charge mode, the output of U5 is always higher than U4’s
reference voltage, thus maintaining a logic level low at the 40
end-of-charge pin. 20
Once R7 has less than a 15mV drop across it, the output of
0
U5 can no longer sustain greater than 1.24V at its output. Now 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
U4 has 1.24V on both its inputs. DISCHARGE RATE (A)

Next, the IOUT drawn by the battery reduces even further due Figure 2. Typical Li-Ion and NiCad Capacity
to charging. Now the voltage at U4’s inverting pin is lower than vs. Discharge Rate2
the 1.24V reference producing a logic level high at the output
of U4, signaling an end-of-charge.
The present industry-standard variable used to determine 4.5 1.4
4.0
lithium-ion battery end-of-charge is the current draw at about 1.2

CHARGE CURRENT (A)

3.5
CELL VOLTAGE (V)

90% charge (see Figure 3). The end-of-charge current is Cell Voltage
1.0
3.0
typically about C/10. A simple countdown timer circuit (not 0.8
2.5
shown) is usually started upon reaching the end-of-charge 2.0 0.6
state. Based on the individual manufacture specification, this 1.5 Current
0.4
completes the charge cycle. 1.0
0.2
End-of-charge output current is calculated using a 1.24V 0.5

reference: 0 0.0
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
TIME (HRS)
(
End-of-ChargeThreshold ≤ IOUT × R7 ) R6
R9
= 1.24V
Figure 3. Typical Lithium Cell Voltage
vs. Charging Current2
1.24V is the reference for U4 pin 3 which is the end-of-
charge comparator.
Note: This circuit uses 157mA as an end-of-charge threshold.
At the end of charge, the charging circuit should be shut
down. It is not recommended to float charge Li-ion cells for
long periods of time.

Application Note 30 2 August 1999

August 1999
Application Note 30

VIN
R12
10V to 16.5V 100k 1%
C1 R1 U1 16,17
68µF 100k D2
20V 1% VIN L1 VOUT
15 68µH SS25
EN 3, 4 8.4V/1.5A
SW
6 D1 C2 R5 R7 100k
PWRGD 1,2, 200k 2-Cell
19,20 MBRS140 68µF 100Ω 0.1Ω R13 1.1M
MIC2179 PGND 20V 0.5% Li-Ion
5 1% 4.2k Battery
PWM
7
1.24V R8 R6
13 FB 1k 1k R9
SYNC
C5 1% 1% 82.5k U4
COMP SGND BIAS 3 Q4
0.01µF 5
8 9-12 14 U5 VN2222
R2 4 1
10k U2 R14 2 End Charge
MIC6270
3 10k 4

3
Shutdown 1% 5 1 R11
1% MIC6211 2 75k TTL Logic Levels
HIGH = SHUTDOWN C2 1
LOW = ENABLE C3 MIC6211 3 IOUT ≥ 157mA
Q1 6.8nF 0.01µF Q3 5
4 R10 C7 IOUT ≤ 157mA
VN2222 VN2222 C4 2
82.5k
0.01µF 1% 1

Fast D3 IN
Charge R4 R3 OUT
Resistor 887Ω 7.87k 1N4148
(1.5A) 0.5% 0.5%
C6 COMP
Charge 0.01µF
Current GND
HIGH = FAST CHARGE
Q2 Trickle
VN2222 Charge U3
LOW = TRICKLE CHARGE
Resistor LM3420M5-8.4
(157mA) 8.4V Voltage Controller

Figure 4. 2-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery Charger Utilizing the MIC2179 Synchronous Buck Regulator

Application Note 30
Micrel
Application Note 30
Application Note 30

VIN
R12
6V to 16.5V 100k 1%
C1 R1 U1 16,17
68µF 100k D2
20V 1% VIN L1 VOUT
15 68µH SS12
EN 3, 4 4.2V/1.2A
SW
6 D1 C2 R5 R7 100k Single
PWRGD 1,2, 100Ω 200k
19,20 MBRS140 68µF 0.1Ω R13 1.1M Li-Ion
MIC2179 PGND 20V 0.5% 1% Cell
5 4.2k
PWM
7
1.24V R8 R6
13 FB 976Ω 976Ω R9
SYNC
C5 1% 1% 100k U4
COMP SGND BIAS 3 Q4
0.01µF 5
8 9-12 14 U5 VN2222
R2 R14 4 1
10k U2 2 MIC6270 End Charge
3 10k 4

4
Shutdown 1% 5 1 R11
1% MIC6211 2 75k TTL Logic Levels
HIGH = SHUTDOWN C2 1
LOW = ENABLE C3 MIC6211 3 IOUT ≥ 120mA
Q1 6.8nF 0.01µF Q3 5
4 R10 C7 IOUT ≤ 120mA
VN2222 VN2222 C4 2
100k
0.01µF 1% 1

Fast D3 IN
Charge R4 R3 OUT
Resistor 1.15k 10.2k 1N4148
(1.2A) 0.5% 0.5%
C6 COMP
Charge 0.01µF
Current GND
HIGH = FAST CHARGE
Q2 Trickle
LOW = TRICKLE CHARGE VN2222 Charge U3
Resistor LM3420M5-4.2
(120mA) 4.2V Voltage Controller

Figure 5. Single-Cell Lithium-Ion Charger Utilizing the MIC2179 Synchronous Buck Regulator

August 1999
Micrel
Application Note 30 Micrel
Lithium-Ion Battery Charging Terms1 Deep discharge—when a battery is discharged below the
manufacturer’s recommended cutoff voltage. Lithium-ion
Ampere-hours—product of current in amperes multiplied by
ranges from 2.7V discharged, 3.6V nominal, to 4.2V per cell
time current is flowing through the battery.
when fully charged. For example, if a lithium-ion battery has
Capacity—a designation by the battery manufacturer which a voltage between 2.5V and 2.7V, the cell is considered to be
helps identify a particular cell model and also provides an in a deeply discharged state.
approximation of capacity. Manufacturers typically define
Constant-voltage charger—a charging circuit used to main-
capacity in terms of C/10 as a standard value when specifying
tain a regulated voltage across a battery but allows the
capacity.
current to vary depending upon the battery’s state of charge.
C rate—discharge or charge rate in amperes typically ex-
Constant-current charger—a charging circuit used to main-
pressed in terms of capacity. Example: a 5.0Ah cell can
tain a regulated current to a battery’s but allows the voltage
sustain 500mA discharge rate for 10 hours. This example
to vary depending upon the battery’s state of charge.
used a C rate of C/10.
Trickle charge—a constant-current source used to slowly
Self-discharge rate—the spontaneous decomposition of
bring a battery up to its recommended cutoff voltage (lithium-
the internal chemicals of the battery causes the battery to
ion 2.7V per cell) or to maintain full charge (4.2V per cell). In
discharge at some manufacturer’s specified rate when not in
a typical trickle-charger lithium-ion battery application, a
use. Determines shelf life.
current of between C/50 to C/10 is used to maintain the
cell(s).

References
1. Battery Reference Book, second edition (Terms)
2. Typical Lithium-Ion Battery Curves/Charts, Toshiba Battery Corporation

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Application Note 30 Micrel

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© 1999 Micrel Incorporated

Application Note 30 8 August 1999