LT1571 Series

Constant-Current/
Constant-Voltage Battery Chargers
with Preset Voltage and Termination Flag
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FEATURES DESCRIPTIO
■ Fast Charging of Li-Ion, NiMH and NiCd Batteries The LT ®1571 PWM battery charger is a simple, efficient
■ Simple Charge Current Programming Requires solution to fast-charge rechargeable batteries including
Only One Low Cost, 1/32W Resistor lithium-ion (Li-Ion), nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) and
■ High Efficiency Charger with Up to nickel-cadmium (NiCd) using constant-current and/or
1.5A Charge Current constant-voltage control. The internal switch is capable
■ Precision 0.6% Internal Voltage Reference of delivering 1.5A DC current (2A peak current). The
■ Preset Battery Voltages: 4.1V, 4.2V, 8.2V, 8.4V onboard current sense resistor (0.1Ω) allows simple
■ 500kHz or 200kHz Switching Frequency charge current programming to within 5% accuracy
Minimizes Charger Size using a low cost external resistor. The constant-voltage
■ Low Reverse Battery Drain Current: 5µA output can be selected for 4.1V or 4.2V per cell with 0.6%
■ Flag Indicates Li-Ion Charge Completion accuracy.
■ 5% Typical Charge Current Accuracy
LT1571 can charge batteries ranging from 1V to 20V. A
■ Low Shutdown Current
saturating switch operating at 200kHz (LT1571-1,
■ LT1571-1: 200kHz, Adjustable Voltage
LT1571-2) or 500kHz (LT1571-5) gives high efficiency
LT1571-2: 200kHz, Fixed 8.2V or 8.4V
and small charger size. A logic output (flag) indicates
LT1571-5: 500kHz, Fixed 4.1V or 4.2V
Li-Ion near full charge when the charge current drops to
U 20% of the programmed value. The LT1571-1 and
APPLICATIO S LT1571-2 are in a 28-pin fused lead narrow SSOP power
■ Cellular Phones, PDAs, Notebook Computers, package. The LT1571-5 is in a 16-pin fused lead narrow
Portable Instruments SSOP power package.
■ Cradle Chargers for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH and , LTC and LT are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation.
Lead-Acid Rechargeable Batteries

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TYPICAL APPLICATION
D3
MBRM120T3 D1
VIN
MBRM120T3
8.2V TO 20V VCC SW
(ADAPTER
OUTPUT) CIN* C1
10µF LT1571-5
0.22µF
L1**
PROG BOOST 10µH
100k 1µF D2
0.33µF MMBD914L
6.19k 300Ω VC SENSE
1k
CAP
CHARGE
FLAG 0.1µF
COMPLETE SELECT
BAT
4.2V + +
Li-Ion COUT*** BAT2 GND
BATTERY 22µF

*TOKIN OR MARCON CERAMIC SURFACE MOUNT

**COILTRONICS TP3-100, 10µH, 2.2mm HEIGHT (0.8A CHARGING CURRENT)
COILTRONICS TP1 SERIES, 10µH, 1.8mm HEIGHT (<0.5A CHARGING CURRENT)
***PANASONIC EEFCD1B220 1571 F01

Figure 1. Compact Li-Ion Cellular Phone Charger (0.8A)

1
LT1571 Series
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ABSOLUTE AXI U RATI GS (Note 1)
Supply Voltage (VCC) .............................................. 28V Operating Ambient
BOOST Pin Voltage with Respect to VCC ................. 20V Temperature Range (Note 2) .................. – 40°C to 85°C
FLAG Pin Voltage ..................................................... VCC Operating Junction
IBAT (Average)........................................................ 1.5A Temperature Range .............................. – 40°C to 125°C
Switch Current (Peak) .............................................. 2A Lead Temperature (Soldering, 10 sec).................. 300°C
Storage Temperature Range ................. – 65°C to 150°C

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PACKAGE/ORDER I FOR ATIO
TOP VIEW TOP VIEW

**GND 1 28 GND** **GND 1 28 GND**

**GND 2 27 GND** **GND 2 27 GND**

TOP VIEW
**GND 3 26 GND** **GND 3 26 GND**
**GND 1 16 GND** SW 4 25 GND** SW 4 25 GND**
SW 2 15 VCC1* BOOST 5 24 VCC1* BOOST 5 24 VCC1*
BOOST 3 14 VCC2* NC 6 23 VCC2* BAT2 6 23 VCC2*
BAT2 4 13 CAP FLAG 7 22 CAP FLAG 7 22 CAP
FLAG 5 12 PROG NC 8 21 PROG NC 8 21 PROG
SELECT 6 11 VC VFB 9 20 VC SELECT 9 20 VC
SENSE 7 10 BAT SENSE 10 19 BAT SENSE 10 19 BAT
**GND 8 9 GND** **GND 11 18 GND** **GND 11 18 GND**

GN PACKAGE **GND 12 17 GND** **GND 12 17 GND**

16-LEAD NARROW PLASTIC SSOP **GND 13 16 GND** **GND 13 16 GND**
TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 75°C/ W **GND 14 15 GND**
**GND 14 15 GND**

* VCC1 AND VCC2 SHOULD BE CONNECTED GN PACKAGE GN PACKAGE

TOGETHER CLOSE TO THE PINS 28-LEAD NARROW PLASTIC SSOP 28-LEAD NARROW PLASTIC SSOP
** FOUR CORNER PINS ARE FUSED TO
INTERNAL DIE ATTACH PADDLE FOR TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 40°C/ W TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 40°C/ W
HEAT SINKING. CONNECT THESE FOUR
PINS TO EXPANDED PC LANDS FOR * VCC1 AND VCC2 SHOULD BE CONNECTED TOGETHER * VCC1 AND VCC2 SHOULD BE CONNECTED TOGETHER
PROPER HEAT SINKING CLOSE TO THE PINS CLOSE TO THE PINS
** ALL GND PINS ARE FUSED TO INTERNAL DIE ATTACH ** ALL GND PINS ARE FUSED TO INTERNAL DIE ATTACH
PADDLE FOR HEAT SINKING. CONNECT THESE PINS TO PADDLE FOR HEAT SINKING. CONNECT THESE PINS TO
EXPANDED PC LANDS FOR PROPER HEAT SINKING EXPANDED PC LANDS FOR PROPER HEAT SINKING
40°C/W THERMAL RESISTANCE ASSUMES AN INTERNAL 40°C/W THERMAL RESISTANCE ASSUMES AN INTERNAL
GROUND PLANE DOUBLING AS A HEAT SPREADER GROUND PLANE DOUBLING AS A HEAT SPREADER

ORDER PART NUMBER ORDER PART NUMBER ORDER PART NUMBER

LT1571EGN-5 LT1571EGN-1 LT1571EGN-2

Consult factory for Industrial and Military grade parts.

2
 LT1571 Series
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The ● denotes specifications which apply over the full operating temperature range, otherwise specifications are TA = 25°C.
VCC = 16V (LT1571-1, LT1571-2), VCC = 10V (LT1571-5), VBAT = 8V (LT1571-1,LT1571-2), VBAT = 4V (LT1571-5), no load on any
outputs unless otherwise noted. (Note 6)
PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
Overall
Supply Current VPROG = 2.7V ● 5.2 7 mA
DC Battery Charging Current, IBAT 8V ≤ VCC ≤ 26V, 0V ≤ VBAT ≤ 20V (LT1571-1)
RPROG = 4.93k ● 0.93 1.0 1.07 A
RPROG = 4.93k, TJ < 0°C 0.91 1.09 A
RPROG = 3.28k ● 1.35 1.5 1.65 A
RPROG = 49.3k 75 100 125 mA
RPROG = 49.3k, TJ < 0°C 70 130 mA
Shutdown
Auto Shutdown, Reverse Current from Battery VBAT ≤ 20V, 0°C ≤ TJ ≤ 70°C (LT1571-1) 5 15 µA
(When Adapter in Figure 1 Circuit is Removed)
Shutdown Threshold at VC Pin 40 80 mV
When VCC is Connected
Shutdown Supply Current VC ≤ 40mV 0.15 0.3 mA
Reference
Reference Voltage (LT1571-1) RPROG = 4.93k. Measured at VFB, with VA
Supplying IPROG and Switch Off
8V ≤ VCC ≤ 26V, 0°C ≤ TJ ≤ 70°C 2.446 2.465 2.480 V
8V ≤ VCC ≤ 26V, 0°C ≤ TJ ≤ 125°C 2.441 2.465 2.489 V
8V ≤ VCC ≤ 26V, TJ < 0°C (Note 5) 2.430 2.465 2.480 V
Preset Battery Voltage
LT1571-2: 8.2V/8.4V RPROG = 4.93k. Measured at BAT2 Pin
LT1571-5: 4.1V/4.2V TJ = 25°C 0.5 %
8V ≤ VCC ≤ 26V, 0°C ≤ TJ ≤ 125°C –1 1 %
Voltage Setting Resistors Tolerance (R4, R5) Absolute Value, Not Matching –40 40 %
BAT2 Pin Input Current (LT1571-2, LT1571-5) VBAT2 = VPRESET – 1V ● 6 µA
Charge Completion Flag (Comparator E6)
Charge Completion Threshold (Note 8) RPROG = 4.93k 0.14 0.20 0.28 A
RPROG = 4.93k, RCAP = 65.6k 0.05 0.085 0.13 A
Threshold on CAP Pin Low-to-High Threshold 4 4.5 V
High-to-Low Threshold 0.6 V
FLAG (Open Collector) Output Low VCAP = 4.5V, IFLAG ≤ 1mA ● 0.3 V
FLAG Pin Leakage Current VCAP = 0.6V, VCC = 26V ● 3 µA
Voltage Amplifier VA
Transconductance Output Current from 100µA to 500µA 0.3 0.6 2.5 mho
Output Source Current VPROG = VREF, VFB = VREF + 10mV 1.3 mA
VFB Input Bias Current (LT1571-1) At 0.75mA Output Current ● ±3 ±15 nA
Overall
Minimum Input Operating Voltage Undervoltage Lockout ● 6.2 7 7.8 V
Boost Pin Current VCC – VBOOST ≤ 20V ● 0.10 20 µA
20V < VCC – VBOOST ≤ 26V ● 0.25 30 µA
2V ≤ VBOOST – VCC ≤ 8V (Switch ON) ● 6 11 mA
8V < VBOOST – VCC ≤ 20V (Switch ON) (LT1571-1) ● 8 14 mA

3
LT1571 Series
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The ● denotes specifications which apply over the full operating temperature range, otherwise specifications are TA = 25°C.
VCC = 16V (LT1571-1, LT1571-2), VCC = 10V (LT1571-5), VBAT = 8V (LT1571-1,LT1571-2), VBAT = 4V (LT1571-5), no load on any
outputs unless otherwise noted. (Note 6)
PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
Switch
Switch ON Resistance ISW = 1.5A, VBOOST – VSW ≥ 2V ● 0.3 0.5 Ω
ISW = 1A, VBOOST – VSW < 2V (Unboosted) ● 2.0 Ω
∆IBOOST/∆ISW During Switch ON VBOOST = (VCC + 8V), ISW ≤ 1A 20 35 mA/A
Switch OFF Leakage Current VSW = 0V, VCC ≤ 20V 2 100 µA
VSW = 0V, 20V < VCC ≤ 26V 4 200 µA
Maximum VBAT with Switch ON ● VCC – 2 V
Minimum IPROG for Switch ON 1 4 27 µA
Minimum IPROG for Switch OFF ● 1 2.4 mA
Current Sense Amplifier Inputs (SENSE, BAT)
Sense Resistance (RS1) 0.08 0.12 Ω
Total Resistance from SENSE to BAT (Note 3) 0.2 0.25 Ω
BAT Bias Current (Note 4) VC < 0.3V – 200 – 375 µA
VC > 0.6V ● 700 1300 µA
VC < 40mV 5 µA
Oscillator
Switching Frequency LT1571-1, LT1571-2 180 200 220 kHz
LT1571-5 440 500 550 kHz
Switching Frequency Tolerance All Conditions of VCC, Temperature,
LT1571-1, LT1571-2 ● 170 200 230 kHz
LT1571-1, LT1571-2, TJ < 0°C 160 230 kHz
LT1571-5 ● 425 500 575 kHz
LT1571-5, TJ < 0°C 400 575 kHz
Maximum Duty Cycle LT1571-1, LT1571-2 ● 87 %
LT1571-1, LT1571-2, TA = 25°C (Note 7) 90 93 %
LT1571-5 ● 77 81 %
Current Amplifier (CA2)
Transconductance VC = 1V, IVC = ±1µA 125 210 550 µmho
Maximum VC for Switch OFF ● 0.6 V
IVC Current (Out of Pin) VC ≥ 0.6V 100 µA
0.2V < VC < 0.45V 3 mA
VC < 40mV (Shutdown) 300 µA

Note 1: Absolute Maximum Ratings are those values beyond which the life Note 5: A linear interpolation can be used for reference voltage
of a device may be impaired. specification between 0°C and – 40°C.
Note 2: The LT1571 is guaranteed to meet performance specifications Note 6: Maximum allowable ambient temperature may be limited by power
from 0°C to 70°C. Specifications over the – 40°C to 85°C operating dissipation. Parts may not necessarily be operated simultaneously at
temperature range are assured by design, characterization and correlation maximum power dissipation and maximum ambient temperature.
with statistical process controls. Temperature rise calculations must be done as shown in the Applications
Note 3: Sense resistor RS1 and package bond wires. Information section to ensure that maximum junction temperature does
Note 4: Current (≈ 700µA) flows into the pins during normal operation and not exceed the 125°C limit. With high power dissipation, maximum
also when an external shutdown signal on the VC pin is greater than 0.3V. ambient temperature may be less than 70°C.
Current decreases to ≈ 200µA and flows out of the pins when external Note 7: 91% maximum duty cycle is guaranteed by design if VBAT or VX
shutdown holds the VC pin below 0.3V but above shutdown threshold. (see Figure 8 in Application Information) is kept between 3V and 5V.
Current drops to near zero when input voltage collapses. See External Note 8: See “Lithium-Ion Charging Completion” in the Applications
Shutdown in Applications Information section. Information section.

4
 LT1571 Series
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TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
Reference Voltage vs Junction
Efficiency of Figure 4 Circuit Temperature Boost Current vs Switch Current
100 2.470 40
VCC = 16V
98 VCC = 15V (EXCLUDING DISSIPATION
ON INPUT DIODE D3) 35
2.468 VBOOST = 26V
96 VBAT = 8.4V
(VX = 10V)

REFERENCE VOLTAGE (V)

30

BOOST CURRENT (mA)

94
2.466
EFFICIENCY (%)

92 25

90 2.464 20
VBOOST = 21V
88 (VX = 5V)
15
2.462
86
10
84
2.460
82 5

80 2.458 0
0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.5 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6
IBAT (A) JUNCTION TEMPERATURE (°C) SWITCH CURRENT (A)
1571 G01 1571 G02 1571 G03

Switching Frequency vs
Temperature VREF Line Regulation ∆VOVP vs IVA (Voltage Amplifier)
510 0.003 4

505
0.002
LT1571-5
500 3
FREQUENCY (kHz)

0.001
495 ALL TEMPERATURES

∆VOVP (mV)
∆VREF (V)

0 2
125°C
205
LT1571-1, LT1571-2 –0.001
200 1
–0.002 25°C
195

190 –0.003 0
–20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
JUNCTION TEMPERATURE (°C) VCC (V) IVA (mA)
1571 G04 1571 G05 1571 G06

Maximum Duty Cycle VC Pin Characteristic PROG Pin Characteristic

98 –1.20 6
LT1571-1, LT1571-2
(VX = 5V) –1.08
97
–0.96
96 –0.84
125°C
DUTY CYCLE (%)

95 –0.72
IPROG (mA)
IVC (mA)

–0.60
94 0 25°C
–0.48
93 –0.36

92 –0.24
–0.12
91
0
90 0.12 –6
0 20 40 60 80 100
120 140 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 0 1 2 3 4 5
JUNCTION TEMPERATURE (°C) VC (V) VPROG (V)
1571 G09 1571 G08 1571 G09

5
LT1571 Series
U U U
PI FU CTIO S
GND: Ground Pin. a microprocessor-controlled DAC is used to program
SW: NPN Power Switch Emitter. The Schottky catch diode charge current, it must be capable of sinking current at a
must be placed with very short lead length in close compliance up to 2.465V.
proximity to SW pin and GND. VC: This is the inner loop control signal of the current mode
VCC1, VCC2: Input Supply. For good bypass, a low ESR PWM. Switching starts at 0.9V. In normal operation, a
capacitor of 10µF or higher is required, with the lead length higher VC corresponds to a higher charge current. A
kept to a minimum. VCC should be between 8V and 26V capacitor of at least 0.1µF to GND filters out noise and
and at least 2V higher than VBAT for VBAT less than 10V, and controls the rate of soft-start. To shut down switching, pull
2.5V higher than VBAT for VBAT greater than 10V. Under- this pin below 0.6V. Typical current out of this pin is 60µA.
voltage lockout starts and switching stops when VCC goes When VC is pulled below 40mV, LT1571 supply current
below 7V (typical). Note that there is an internal parasitic drops to typical 150µA.
diode from SW pin to VCC pin. Do not force VCC below SW SELECT (LT1571-2, LT1571-5): This pin is used to select
by more than 0.7V with battery present. All VCC pins the preset battery voltage. For the LT1571-2, leave this pin
should be shorted together close to the pins. open for 8.2V and ground it for 8.4V. For the LT1571-5,
BOOST: This pin is used to bootstrap and drive the NPN leave this pin open for 4.1V and ground it for 4.2V. For
switch to a low on-voltage for low power dissipation. VBOOST other battery voltages, use the adjustable LT1571-1.
= VCC + VBAT when switch is on. For less power dissipation VFB (LT1571-1): This is the input to the amplifier VA (see
use VBOOST = 3V to 6V (see Applications Information). Block Diagram) with a threshold of 2.465V. Typical input
SENSE: Current Amplifier CA1 Input. Sensing can be at current is about 3nA. When charging batteries, VA moni-
either terminal of the battery. Note that current sense tors the battery voltage and reduces charging current
resistor RS1 (0.08Ω) is between SENSE and BAT pins. when battery voltage reaches the preset value. If it is not
used (constant-current only mode), the VFB pin should be
BAT: Current Amplifier CA1 Input. grounded.
BAT2 (LT1571-2, LT1571-5): This pin is used to connect CAP: A 0.1µF capacitor from CAP to ground is needed to
the battery to the internal preset voltage setting resistor. filter the sampled charge current signal. This filtered
An internal switch disconnects the internal divider from signal is used to set the FLAG pin when the charge current
the battery when the device is in shutdown or when input drops to 20% of the programmed maximum charge cur-
power is disconnected. This disconnect function rent. This threshold level can be set as low as 7.5% of the
eliminates current drain due to the resistor divider. This programmed maximum charge current by adding a resis-
pin should be connected to the positive node of the tor on the CAP pin.
battery if the internal preset divider is used. Otherwise
this pin should be grounded. Maximum voltage on this FLAG: This pin is an open-collector output that is used to
pin is 20V. indicate end of charge. The FLAG pin is driven low when
the charge current drops below a certain percentage of the
PROG: This pin is for programming the charge current programmed charge current as explained in the CAP pin
and for system loop compensation. Charge current is function. A pull-up resistor is required if this function is
regulated to 2000× the current drawn from the PROG used. This pin is capable of sinking at least 1mA. Maxi-
pin. During normal operation, VPROG stays close to mum voltage on this pin is VCC.
2.465V. If it is shorted to GND, switching will stop. When

6
 LT1571 Series
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BLOCK DIAGRA

80mV

+ +

VC –
SHUTDOWN D3
0.2V VCC
200kHz/500kHz VIN
BAT +
+ OSCILLATOR

D2
– BOOST
S

VCC
–
QSW C1
R
+ R SW L1

+ D1
GND 1.5V –
PWM SENSE
VBAT
C1
SLOPE B1 +
COMPENSATION
– + + CA1 IBAT RS1 IBAT
R2 BAT VBAT
R1 IPROG = 500µA/A
–
1k IBAT BATTERY
R3
IPROG +
BAT2
A11 (LT1571-2,
LT1571-5
– ONLY)
–
VC
CA2
+
VREF R7
75k
IVA
4 VFB
IVA (LT1571-1
CAP + ONLY)
R6
IPROG VA
+ 11k R4
FLAG VREF
– 2.465V
SELECT
E6 R5 (LT1571-2,
– 2k LT1571-5
ONLY)
+
4V

PROG

NOTES: LT1571-2: R4 = 7.1k, R7 = 30.24k

 2.465V 
LT1571-5: R4 = 3.33k, R7 = 8.62k IBAT =   • 2000
RPROG  RPROG 
LT1571-1: 200kHz, VFB PIN FOR ADJUSTABLE
BATTERY VOLTAGE (VFB PIN IS NOT INTERNALLY
CPROG
CONNECTED TO THE RESISTORS)
1571 BD
LT1571-2: 200kHz, PRESET 8.2V CELL
(SELECT PIN OPEN) OR 8.4V (SELECT PIN GROUNDED)
LT1571-5: 500KHz, PRESET 4.1V CELL
(SEECT PIN OPEN) OR 4.2V (SELECT PIN GROUNDED)

7
LT1571 Series
U
OPERATIO
The LT1571 is a current mode PWM step-down (buck) require both constant-current and constant-voltage charg-
charger. The battery charge current is programmed by a ing, the 0.5%, 2.465V reference and the amplifier VA
resistor RPROG (or a DAC output current) at the PROG pin reduce the charge current when battery voltage reaches
(see Block Diagram). Amplifier CA1 converts the charge the preset level. For NiMH and NiCd, VA can be used for
current through RS1 to a much lower current IPROG (500µA/ overvoltage protection. When input voltage is removed,
A) fed into the PROG pin. Amplifier CA2 compares the the VCC pin drops to 0.7V below the battery voltage forcing
output of CA1 with the programmed current and drives the the charger into a low-battery drain (5µA typical) sleep
PWM loop to force them to be equal. High DC accuracy is mode. To shut down the charger, simply pull the VC pin low
achieved with averaging capacitor CPROG. Note that IPROG with a transistor.
has both AC and DC components. IPROG goes through R1 Comparator E6 monitors the charge level and signals
and generates a ramp signal that is fed to the PWM control through the FLAG pin when charging is in voltage mode
comparator C1 through buffer B1 and level shift resistors and the charge current has reduced to 20% or less. This
R2 and R3, forming the current mode inner loop. The charge complete signal can be used to start a timer for
BOOST pin drives the NPN switch (QSW) into saturation charging termination.
and reduces power loss. For batteries like lithium-ion that

U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
Input and Output Capacitors  V 
0.29(VBAT ) 1 − BAT 
In the charger circuits in Figures 1 and 2, the input  VCC 
IRMS =
capacitor CIN is assumed to absorb all input switching (L1)( f)
ripple current in the converter, so it must have adequate
ripple current rating. Worst-case RMS ripple current will For example, with VCC = 16V, VBAT = 8.4V, L1 = 33µH and
be equal to one half of the output charge current. Actual f = 200kHz, IRMS = 0.18A.
capacitance value is not critical. Solid tantalum capacitors EMI considerations usually make it desirable to minimize
such as the AVX TPS and Sprague 593D series have high ripple current in the battery leads. Beads or inductors can
ripple current rating in a relatively small surface mount
be added to increase battery impedance at the 200kHz
package, but caution must be used when tantalum capaci-
switching frequency. Switching ripple current splits
tors are used for input bypass. High input surge currents
between the battery and the output capacitor depending
are possible when the adapter is hot-plugged to the
on the ESR of the output capacitor and the battery imped-
charger and solid tantalum capacitors have a known
ance. If the ESR of COUT is 0.2Ω and the battery impedance
failure mechanism when subjected to very high turn-on
surge currents. Selecting a high voltage rating on the is raised to 4Ω with a bead of inductor, only 5% of the
capacitor will minimize problems. Consult with the manufac- ripple current will flow into the battery.
turer before use. Alternatives include new high capacity
Soft-Start
ceramic capacitors from Tokin or United Chemi-Con/
MARCON, et al. OS-CON can also be used. The LT1571 is soft-started by the 0.33µF capacitor on VC
pin. On start-up, the VC pin voltage will rise quickly to 0.5V,
The output capacitor COUT is also assumed to absorb
then ramp at a rate set by the internal 45µA pull-up current
output switching ripple current. The general formula for
capacitor ripple current is: and the external capacitor. Charge current starts ramping
up when the VC pin voltage reaches 0.9V and full current

8
 LT1571 Series
U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
is achieved with VC at 1.1V. With a 0.33µF capacitor, the The lockout voltage will be VIN = VZ + 1V.
time to reach full charge current is about 9ms and it is For example, for a 24V adapter to start charging at 22VIN,
assumed that input voltage to the charger will reach full choose VZ = 21V. When VIN is less than 22V, D1 keeps VC
value in less than 3ms. Capacitance can be increased up to low and charger off.
1µF if longer input start-up times are needed.
In any switching regulator, conventional time-based soft Charge Current Programming
starting can be defeated if the input voltage rises much The basic formula for charge current is (see Block
slower than the time-out period. This happens because the Diagram):
switching regulators in the battery charger and the com-
 2.465V 
puter power supply are typically supplying a fixed amount IBAT = (IPROG)(2000) =   (2000)
of power to the load. If the input voltage comes up slowly  R PROG 
compared to the soft-start time, the regulators will try to where RPROG is the total resistance from PROG pin to
deliver full power to the load when the input voltage is still ground.
well below its final value. If the adapter is current limited,
it cannot deliver full power at reduced output voltages and For example, 1A charge current is needed.
the possibility exists for a quasi “latch” state where the
adapter output stays in a current limited state at reduced RPROG =
(2.465V)(2000) = 4.93k
output voltage. For instance, if maximum charger plus 1A
computer load power is 20W, a 24V adapter might be Charge current can also be programmed by pulse width
current limited at 1A. If adapter voltage is less than (20W/1A modulating IPROG with a switch Q1 to RPROG at a frequency
= 20V) when full power is drawn, the adapter voltage will be higher than a few kHz (Figure 3). Charge current will be
pulled down by the constant 20W load until it reaches a lower proportional to the duty cycle of Q1 with full current at
stable state where the switching regulators can no longer 100% duty cycle.
supply full load. This situation can be prevented by utilizing
When a microprocessor DAC output is used to control
undervoltage lockout, set higher than the minimum adapter
charge current, it must be capable of sinking current
voltage where full power can be achieved.
at a compliance up to 2.5V if connected directly to the
A fixed undervoltage lockout of 7V is built into the LT1571. PROG pin.
A higher lockout voltage can be implemented with a Zener
diode D2 (see Figure 2).
LT1571

PROG
D3
300Ω
VIN

D2 RPROG CPROG
VZ D1 VCC
4.64k 1µF
1N4148
VC LT1571 5V Q1
0V VN2222
2k GND PWM
1571 F02 IBAT = (DC)(1A) 1571 F03

Figure 2. Undervoltage Lockout Figure 3. PWM Current Programming

9
LT1571 Series
U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
Lithium-Ion Charging CAP pin to filter out the switching noise and a pull-up
The circuit in Figure 4 uses the 28-pin LT1571-2 to charge resistor is also needed at FLAG pin.
lithium-ion batteries at a constant 1A until the battery
Charge Termination Flag Threshold Setting
voltage reaches 8.4V preset battery voltage. The charger
will then automatically go into a constant-voltage mode The charge termination flag threshold can be reduced
with current decreasing to near zero over time as the from the default 20% level to as low as 7.5% of the
battery reaches full charge. programmed full charge current. This is done by adding a
resistor RCAP from the CAP pin to ground (see Figure 5).
Lithium-Ion Charge Completion The formula for selecting the RCAP resistor is:
Some battery manufacturers recommend termination of
constant-voltage float mode after charge current has RPROG
Threshold = 0.20 – (1.331)
dropped below a specified level (typically around 10% to RCAP
20% of the full current) and a further time-out period of 30 or
minutes to 90 minutes has elapsed. Check with manufac- (1.331)RPROG
turer for details. The LT1571 provides a signal at the FLAG RCAP =
pin when the charger is in voltage mode and charge 0.20 – Threshold
current has reduced to approximately 20% of full current.
RPROG is the charge current setting resistor.
Note that full current is (2.465V × 2000)/RPROG. Compara-
tor E6 in the Block Diagram compares the charge current LT1571
sample IPROG to the output current IVA voltage amplifier
CAP
VA. When the charge current drops to 20% of full current,
IPROG will be equal to 0.25 IVA and the open-collector RCAP
0.1µF
output VFLAG will go low. This signal can be used to start
1571 F05
an external timer or to terminate the charge. When this
feature is used, a capacitor of at least 0.1µF is required at Figure 5. Reducing Charge Termination Threshold

D3
D1 MBRM120T3
MBRM120T3 VIN
SW VCC 11V
C1 CIN* TO 26V
LT1571-2 10µF
0.22µF
L1**
33µH BOOST PROG
D2 1µF
0.3µF 4.93k 100k
MMBD914L
SENSE VC 300Ω
1k
CAP
0.1µF FLAG
SELECT
BAT
+ COUT +
GND BAT2 22µF 8.4V
TANT

NOTE: COMPLETE LITHIUM-ION CHARGER

* TOKIN OR MARCON CERAMIC SURFACE MOUNT
** COILTRONICS CTX33-2 1571 F04

Figure 4. 200kHz Charging Lithium Batteries (Efficiency at 1A > 87%)

10
 LT1571 Series
U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
For example, if 10% threshold is needed for the 1A charger
R3 =
(R4)(VBAT − 2.465)
(see Figure 4), then with RPROG = 4.93k: 2.465
1.331 • 4.93k Lithium-ion batteries typically require float voltage accu-
RCAP = = 65.6k racy of 1% to 2%. Accuracy of the LT1571-1 VFB voltage
0.20 – 0.10
is ±0.5% at 25°C and ±1% over full temperature. This
Because of low level errors, as the threshold level is leads to the possibility that very accurate (0.1%) resistors
reduced, the accuracy is also reduced. It is not recom- might be needed for R3 and R4. Actually, the temperature
mended to program a level less than 7.5%. of the LT1571-1 rarely exceeds 50°C in float mode
because charge currents have tapered off to a low level, so
Preset Battery Voltage Settings 0.25% resistors normally provide the required level of
The LT1571-2 operates at 200kHz and is preset for 8.2V overall accuracy.
battery voltage with SELECT pin floating and 8.4V with
SELECT pin grounded. External Shutdown

The LT1571-5 operates at 500kHz and is preset for 4.1V The LT1571 can be externally shut down by pulling the VC
battery voltage with SELECT pin floating and 4.2V with pin low with an open-drain N-FET, such as 2N7002. The VC
SELECT pin grounded. pin should be pulled below 0.6V to stop switching. When
VC is pulled below 40mV, LT1571 supply current drops to
BAT2 pin is for Kelvin sensing the battery voltage and typical 150µA.
should be connected to the battery.
Removing input power to the charger puts the LT1571 into
Other Battery Voltage Settings a sleep mode and draws only 5µA from the battery.
For battery voltages other than the preset voltages, the Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-Metal-Hydride Charging
LT1571-1 should be used. It operates at 200kHz and the
battery voltage is programmed with R3 and R4 divider at The circuit in Figure 7 uses the LT1571-1 to charge NiCd
VFB pin (Figure 6). or NiMH batteries up to 20V with charge currents of 0.5A
when Q1 is on and 50mA when Q1 is off.
VBAT
For a 2-level charger, R1 and R2 are found from:
VFB R3
LT1571-1
IBAT =
(2000)(2.465)
R4
R PROG
1571 F06

R1 =
(2.465)(2000) R2 =
(2.465)(2000 )
Figure 6. Programming Other Battery Voltages ILOW IHI − ILOW

Current through the R3/R4 divider is set at a compromise All battery chargers with fast-charge rates require some
value of 25µA to minimize battery drain when the charger means to detect full charge in the battery and terminate the
is off. The VFB pin input current of 3nA contributes very high charge current. NiCd batteries are typically charged at
high current until the battery temperature begins to in-
little output voltage error and can be neglected.
crease or until the battery voltage reaches a peak and
With divider current set at 25µA, R4 = 2.465/25µA = 100k begins to decrease (– dV/dt). This is an indication of near
and, full charge. The charge current is then reduced to a much

11
LT1571 Series
U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
PBIAS = (3.5mA )(VIN) + 1.5mA(VBAT )
D3
C1 D1
1N5819
0.22µF 1N5819
VIN
SW VCC

( VBAT )
CIN* (WALL ADAPTER) 2

BOOST PROG
10µF
+
VIN
[7.5mA + (0.012)(IBAT )]
L1** 1µF
R1

(IBAT )(VBAT )2  1+ V30

BAT 
300Ω
33µH LT1571-1 100k

D2
1N914
GND VC 0.1µF
R2

1k 11k
PDRIVER =
IBAT
Q1
VN2222
55(VIN)

(IBAT ) (RSW )(VBAT )

SENSE BAT ON: IBAT = 0.5A 2
+ +
+ ( tOL )(VIN)(IBAT )( f)
COUT OFF: IBAT = 0.05A
PSW =
2V TO
* TOKIN OR MARCON CERAMIC 22µF 20V
SURFACE MOUNT TANT 1571 F07 V IN
** COILTRONICS CTX33-2

PSENSE = (0.18Ω)(IBAT )
2
Figure 7. Charging NiMH or NiCd Batteries with
Constant Current (Efficiency at 0.5A ≈ 90%)
RSW = Switch ON resistance ≈ 0.35Ω
lower value and maintained as a constant trickle charge. tOL = Effective switch overlap time ≈ 10ns
An intermediate “top off” current may also be used for a f = 200kHz (500kHz for LT1571-5)
fixed time period to reduce total charge time.
Example: VIN = 15V, VBAT = 8.4V, IBAT = 1.2A;
NiMH batteries are similar in chemistry to NiCd but have
two differences related to charging. First, the inflection
characteristic in battery voltage as full charge is PBIAS = (3.5mA )(VIN) + 1.5mA(VBAT )
approached is not nearly as pronounced. This makes it ( VBAT )
2
more difficult to use – dV/dt as an indicator of full charge, +
VIN
[7.5mA + (0.012)(IBAT )]
and an increase in temperature is more often used with a
temperature sensor located in the battery pack. Secondly,
constant trickle charge may not be recommended. In-
(IBAT )(VBAT )2  1+ V30
BAT 


PDRIVER =
stead, a moderate level of current is used on a pulse basis 55(VIN)
(≈ 1% to 5% duty cycle) with the time-averaged value
substituting for a constant low trickle.
PSW =
(IBAT ) (RSW )(VBAT )
2
+ ( tOL )(VIN)(IBAT )( f)
V IN
Thermal Calculations
PSENSE = (0.18Ω)(IBAT )
2
If the LT1571 is used for charge currents above 0.4A, a
thermal calculation should be done to ensure that junction
temperature will not exceed 125°C. Power dissipation in Total power in the IC is:
the IC is caused by bias and driver current, switch resis- 0.17 + 0.13 + 0.32+ 0.26 = 0.88W
tance, switch transition losses and the current sense Temperature rise will be (0.88W)(40°C/W) = 35°C. This
resistor. The following equations show that maximum assumes that the LT1571 is properly heat sunk by con-
practical charge current for the 16-pin SSOP package necting all fused ground pins to the expanded traces and
(75° C/W thermal resistance) is about 1.2A for an 8.4V that the PC board has a backside or internal plane for heat
battery and 1.4A for a 4.2V battery. This assumes a 60°C spreading.
maximum ambient temperature. The 28-pin SSOP, with a
thermal resistance of 40°C/W, can provide a full 1.5A The PDRIVER term can be reduced by connecting the boost
charge current in many situations. diode D2 to a lower system voltage (lower than VBAT)

12
 LT1571 Series
U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
instead of VBAT (see Figure 8). The optimum boost voltage SW
LT1571
(VX) is from 3V to 6V. C1
L1 BOOST
Then, D2
SENSE

(IBAT )(VBAT )(VX) 1+ V30X 

VX
1571 F08
3V TO 6V +
IVX 10µF
PDRIVER =
55(VIN)
Figure 8. Lower VBOOST
For example, VX = 3.3V,

(1.2A)(8.4V)(3.3V) 1+ 330
.3V  60


PDRIVER = = 0.045W 55

55(15V )

THERMAL RESISTANCE (°C/W)

50
2-LAYER BOARD
The average IVX required is: 45

4-LAYER BOARD
PDRIVER 0.045W 40
= = 14mA
VX 3.3V 35
GN16, MEASURED FROM AIR AMBIENT
Total board area becomes an important factor when the 30 TO DIE USING COPPER LANDS AS
SHOWN ON DATA SHEET
area of the board drops below about 20 square inches. The 25
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
graph in Figure 9 shows thermal resistance vs board area BOARD AREA (IN2)
for 2-layer and 4-layer boards. Note that 4-layer boards 1571 F09

have significantly lower thermal resistance, but both types

Figure 9. LT1571 Thermal Resistance
show a rapid increase for reduced board areas. Figure 10
shows actual measured lead temperature for chargers
90
operating at full current. Battery voltage and input voltage NOTE: PEAK DIE TEMPERATURE WILL BE
ABOUT 10°C HIGHER THAN LEAD TEMPER-
will affect device power dissipation, so the data sheet 80
ATURE AT 1.3A CHARGING CURRENT
power calculations must be used to extrapolate these
LEAD TEMPERATURE (°C)

70
readings to other situations. 2-LAYER BOARD
60
Vias should be used to connect board layers together. 50 4-LAYER BOARD
Planes under the charger area can be cut away from the
40 ICHRG = 1.3A
rest of the board and connected with vias to form both a VIN = 16V
VBAT = 8.4V
low thermal resistance system and to act as a ground 30 VBOOST = VBAT
plane for reduced EMI. 20
TA = 25°C

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
BOARD AREA (IN2)
Higher Duty Cycle 1571 F10

Maximum duty cycle for the LT1571-1/LT1571-2 is typi- Figure 10. LT1571 Lead Temperature
cally 90% but this may be too low for some applications.
For example, if an 18V ±3% adapter is used to charge ten cycle is 15/16.4 = 91.4%. The duty cycle can be extended
NiMH cells, the charger must put out approximately 15V. to 93% by restricting boost voltage to 5V instead of using
A total of 1.6V is lost in the input diode, switch resistance, VBAT as is normally done. This lower boost voltage VX (see
inductor resistance and parasitics so the required duty Figure 8) also reduces power dissipation in the LT1571.

13
LT1571 Series
U U W U
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
Lower Dropout Voltage Layout Considerations
For even lower dropout and/or reducing heat on the Switch rise and fall times are under 10ns for maximum
board, the input diode D3 can be replaced with a FET (see efficiency. To minimize radiation, the catch diode, SW pin
Figure 11). Connect a P-channel FET in place of the input and input bypass capacitor leads should be kept as short
diode with its gate connected to the battery (SENSE pin) as possible. A ground plane should be used under the
causing the FET to turn off when the input voltage goes switching circuitry to prevent interplane coupling and to
low. The problem is that the gate must be pumped low so act as a thermal spreading path. All ground pins should be
that the FET is fully turned on even when the input is only connected to expand traces for low thermal resistance.
a volt or two above the battery voltage. Also there is a turn- The fast-switching high current ground path including the
off speed issue. The FET should turn off instantly when the switch, catch diode and input capacitor should be kept
input is dead shorted to avoid large current surges from very short. Catch diode and input capacitor should be
the battery back through the charger into the FET. Gate close to the chip and terminated to the same point. This
capacitance slows turn off, so a small P-FET (Q2) dis- path contains nanosecond rise and fall times with several
charges the gate capacitance quickly in the event of an amps of current. The other paths contain only DC and /or
input short. The body diode of Q2 creates the necessary 200kHz or 500kHz triwave and are less critical. Figure 12
pumping action to keep the gate of Q1 low during normal indicates the high speed, high current switching path.
operation. Figure 13 shows critical path layout.
Q1
VIN
+
VCC
SW SWITCH NODE
Q2 LT1571 L1
C3
RX VBAT
D1 L1 BOOST
50k
D2
SENSE HIGH
FREQUENCY
VX BAT VIN CIN COUT BAT
CIRCULATING
3V TO 6V CX
VBAT PATH
10µF
Q1: Si4435DY +
Q2: TP0610L
HIGH DUTY CYCLE
CONNECTION 1571 F11 1571 F12

Figure 11. Replacing the Input Diode Figure 12. High Speed Switching Path

GND

LT1571-5
D1 GND GND CIN
SW VCC2
BOOST VCC1
BAT2 CAP
FLAG PROG
L1
SELECT VC
SENSE BAT
GND GND

1571 F13

Figure 13. Critical Electrical and Thermal Path Layer for LT1571-5

14
 LT1571 Series
U
PACKAGE DESCRIPTIO Dimensions in inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted.

GN Package
16-Lead Plastic SSOP (Narrow 0.150)
(LTC DWG # 05-08-1641)

0.189 – 0.196*
(4.801 – 4.978)
0.009
(0.229)
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 REF

0.229 – 0.244 0.150 – 0.157**

(5.817 – 6.198) (3.810 – 3.988)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

0.015 ± 0.004
× 45° 0.053 – 0.068 0.004 – 0.0098
(0.38 ± 0.10)
(1.351 – 1.727) (0.102 – 0.249)
0.007 – 0.0098
0° – 8° TYP
(0.178 – 0.249)

0.016 – 0.050 0.008 – 0.012 0.0250

(0.406 – 1.270) (0.203 – 0.305) (0.635)
BSC
* DIMENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE MOLD FLASH. MOLD FLASH
SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.006" (0.152mm) PER SIDE
** DIMENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERLEAD FLASH. INTERLEAD
FLASH SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.010" (0.254mm) PER SIDE GN16 (SSOP) 1098

GN Package
28-Lead Plastic SSOP (Narrow 0.150)
(LTC DWG # 05-08-1641)

0.386 – 0.393*
(9.804 – 9.982) 0.033
(0.838)
28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 1615 REF

0.229 – 0.244 0.150 – 0.157**

(5.817 – 6.198) (3.810 – 3.988)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

0.015 ± 0.004
× 45° 0.053 – 0.069 0.004 – 0.009
(0.38 ± 0.10)
(1.351 – 1.748) (0.102 – 0.249)
0.0075 – 0.0098 0° – 8° TYP
(0.191 – 0.249)

0.016 – 0.050 0.008 – 0.012 0.0250

(0.406 – 1.270) (0.203 – 0.305) (0.635)
BSC
* DIMENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE MOLD FLASH. MOLD FLASH
SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.006" (0.152mm) PER SIDE
** DIMENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERLEAD FLASH. INTERLEAD
FLASH SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.010" (0.254mm) PER SIDE GN28 (SSOP) 1098

15
Information furnished by Linear Technology Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable.
However, no responsibility is assumed for its use. Linear Technology Corporation makes no represen-
tation that the interconnection of its circuits as described herein will not infringe on existing patent rights.
LT1571 Series
RELATED PARTS
PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION COMMENTS
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LT1510 200kHz Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Battery Charger Up to 1.5A Charge Current for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH or Lead Acid Batteries
LT1510-5 500kHz Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Battery Charger Up to 1A Charge Current for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH or Lead Acid Batteries
LT1511 200kHz Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Battery Charger Up to 3A Charge Current for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH or Lead Acid Batteries
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LT1512 500kHz SEPIC Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Up to 1.5A Charge Current for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH or Lead-Acid
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LT1513 500kHz SEPIC Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Up to 2A Charge Current for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH or Lead-Acid
Battery Charger Batteries. Input Voltage Can be Higher or Lower Than Battery Voltage.
3A Internal Switch
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Preset Voltages, C/10 Charge Detection and Timer Functions
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Charge Detection and Programmable Timer
LTC1759 SMBus Controlled Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Smart LT1505 Charger Functionality with SMBus
Battery Charger Controller
LT1769 200kHz Constant-Current/Constant-Voltage Battery Charger Up to 2A Charge Current for Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH or Lead-Acid Batteries
with Input Current Limit

1571f LT/TP 0700 4K • PRINTED IN USA

Linear Technology Corporation
16 1630 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035-7417
(408)432-1900 ● FAX: (408) 434-0507 ● www.linear-tech.com  LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 2000