USB Power Manager Slashes Battery Charge Time

Simultaneous management of battery charging and system operation for Li-ion battery-powered USB peripherals from a USB host is the forte of LTC4410. The USB power manager IC is designed to ensure that portable products, such as cell phones and digital cameras, are in compliance with USB overcurrent specs by keeping total current constant from the USB port. Compared to conventional methods, LTC4410 powers system load directly from USB's 5V supply instead of the battery's 3.6V terminal, resulting in 39% faster charge up times. And by managing total current consumption, the IC permits a 1-cell Li-ion battery-powered USB peripheral to charge its battery and operate its system circuitry without exceeding user-set current limits. In 6-lead ThinSOT packages, LTC4410 has a starting price of $1.20 each/1,000. More information is available from Afshin Odabaee at LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORP., Milpitas, CA. (408) 432-1900, ext. 2593.