Inside a Smart Portable Power Bank with Multi-Source Charging (Download)
As portable electronics become more power-hungry, power banks are evolving from passive battery packs into intelligent energy-management systems that can offer dependable backup power. These devices must do more than recharge smartphones, tablets, and other USB-powered devices. They also need to run on different input power sources, manage battery charging under changing conditions, and deliver power to connected loads efficiently and reliably.
To meet those demands, we developed a smart power bank charger that started out as a modular proof-of-concept using stacked evaluation boards. The prototype validated the system’s architecture, but the stacked approach came with penalties in size and complexity and caused excess power loss. We later consolidated the power bank into a fully integrated single-board solution that combines all major power-management functions into a smaller and more commercially practical platform.
