LTC4001-1
16
40011fa
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Insert the highest power dissipation fi gure into the following
equation to determine maximum junction temperature:
T
J
= T
A
+ (P
D
• 37°C/W)
The LTC4001-1 includes chip overtemperature protection.
If junction temperature exceeds 160°C (typical), the chip
will stop battery charging until chip temperature drops
below 150°C.
Using the LTC4001-1 in Applications Without a Battery
The LTC4001-1 is normally used in end products that only
operate with the battery attached (Figure 6). Under these
conditions the battery is available to supply load transient
currents. For indefi nite operation with a powered wall
adapter there are only two requirements—that the aver-
age current drawn by the load is less than the high rate
charge current, and that V
BAT
stays above the trickle charge
threshold when the load is initially turned on and during
other load transients. When making this determination
take into account battery impedance. If battery voltage
is less than the trickle charge threshold, the system load
may be turned off until V
BAT
is high enough to meet these
conditions.
The situation changes dramatically with the battery re-
moved (Figure 7). Since the battery is absent, V
BAT
begins
at zero when a powered wall adapter is fi rst connected to
the battery charger.
With a maximum load less than the
LTC4001-1 trickle charge current
, battery voltage will ramp
up until V
BAT
crosses the trickle charge threshold. When this
occurs, the LTC4001-1 switches over from trickle charge
to high rate (PWM) charge mode but initially delivers zero
current (because the soft-start pin is at zero). Battery volt-
age drops as a result of the system load, crossing below
the trickle charge threshold. The charger re-enters trickle
charge mode and the battery voltage ramps up again until
the battery charger re-enters high rate mode.
The soft-start voltage is slightly higher this time around
(than in the previous PWM cycle). Every successive time
that the charger enters high rate (PWM) charge mode,
the soft-start pin is at a slightly higher voltage. Eventually
high rate charge mode begins with a soft-start voltage that
causes the PWM charger to provide more current than the
system load demands, and V
BAT
rapidly rises until the fl oat
voltage is reached.
For battery-less operation, system load current should be
restricted to less than the worst case trickle charge current
(preferably less than 30mA) when V
BAT
is less than 3.15V
(through an undervoltage lockout or other means). Above
V
BAT
= 3.15V, system load current less than or equal to the
high rate charge current is allowed. If operation without
a battery is required, additional low-ESR output fi ltering
improves start-up and other load transients. Battery-less
start-up is also improved if a 10k resistor is placed in
series with the soft-start capacitor.
Figure 6. Typical Application
+
WALL
ADAPTER
LTC4001-1
BATTERY
CHARGER
SYSTEM
LOAD
Li-Ion
BATTERY
40011 F06
