Complete energy harvesting PMIC for battery-free system designs

Nexperia has introduced the NEH7100BU, a high-performance power management IC (PMIC) which charges a storage element using energy harvested from a wide range of ambient sources including light, a temperature gradient, or kinetic energy. 

The NEH7100BU enables designers to rethink the operation of traditionally battery-powered systems, by extending the life of the battery or by achieving full energy autonomy. The PMIC makes battery-less designs possible because of its cold-start feature, which allows a storage element such as a capacitor to collect small amounts of energy, so that the system can power up from very low energy levels. 

By removing or limiting the need for battery replacement, this new Nexperia energy harvesting solution enables the creation of sustainable and cost-effective devices.

The NEH7100BU requires no external inductor. The PMIC includes power management features such as over-voltage protection, low-voltage detection and over-current protection to protect the storage element. In addition, the NEH7100BU includes an LDO voltage regulator, an I2C interface, and a USB charging circuit, helping designers to create more integrated systems with a reduced bill-of-materials cost and a simpler board layout.

Handling a wide input-power range of 15 μW to 100 mW, the NEH7100BU can convert energy at an efficiency of up to 95%. The PMIC includes an on-chip maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm for optimizing energy transfer as the harvested power and voltage input fluctuate. This high-performance algorithm adapts to the external environment every 0.5 seconds.

The NEH7100BU is supplied in a 28-lead, 4 mm x 4 mm QFN package.