Ambient Energy Manager Handles Two Energy-Harvesting Sources
What you'll learn:
- Details of e-peas' AEM13920 PMIC and ambient energy manager.
- How the device leverages two energy-harvesting inputs.
e-peas has been in the energy-management arena for a while, and its latest AEM19320 pushes the envelope by supporting two energy-harvesting subsystems at the same time (see figure). The sources could be similar, like the two different solar cells used in the demo or other types of energy-harvesting technologies. I talked with Kevin Daly, VP of Sales for the Americas at e-peas, about the company’s latest power-management integrated circuit (PMIC) (watch the video above).
The AEM13920 is a PMIC and ambient energy manager (AEM). In addition to the two energy-harvesting inputs, it has a 5-V input that can charge the storage element. The energy-harvesting inputs implement “maximum power point tracking (MPPT) based on open-circuit voltage ratio as well as constant source voltage regulation features, allowing for harvesting the maximum power available from each source to charge the storage element.”
Its cold-start circuitry is designed to operate with an input voltage as low as 275 mV (min. 1.5 μW power). This is important as many energy-harvesting solutions provide small amounts of power. The system’s thermal monitoring prevents overcharging and discharge of the power storage element. It supports a range of battery technologies like LiC, Li-ion, LiPo, and Li-ceramic pouch.
The buck regular conversion efficiency is 96% with output current up to 100 mA and voltages from 0.6 to 2.5 V. A shipping mode can prevent charging and discharging during shipping. An I2C interface allows for external control of the AEM PMIC. The chip comes in a 5- × 5-mm, QFN 40-pin package.
About the Author
William G. Wong
Senior Content Director - Electronic Design and Microwaves & RF
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