Application Note

Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

AN013703-0708

Abstract

Features

This Application Note demonstrates Zilogs

Z8 Encore!-based battery charger that charges
various rechargeable batteries in a fast, efficient,
and safe manner.

The features of Z8 Encore! are as follows:

All the important rechargeable battery types,

Sealed Lead Acid (SLA), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd),
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), and Lithium Ion
(Li-Ion), are addressed in this Application Note.
The Z8 Encore!-based charger manages each battery type according to its individual charging profile.
Note: The source code file associated with
this application note, AN0137SC01.zip is available for download at www.zilog.com.

Product Overview
Z8 Encore! products are based on the new 8-bit
eZ8 CPU, and introduce Flash memory to Zilogs
extensive line of 8-bit microcontrollers unit
(MCU). The Flash in-circuit programming capability allows for faster development time and program
changes in the field. The new eZ8 core maintains
backward compatibility with Zilogs popular Z8
MCU.
Featuring Zilogs high performance register-to-register based architecture (eZ8), the new Z8 Encore!
MCUs combine a fast 20 MHz core, up to 64 KB
of Flash memory, up to 4 KB of linear register
SRAM, and an extensive array of on-chip peripherals. These peripherals make Z8 Encore! suitable
for a variety of applications including motor control, security systems, home appliances, personal
electronic devices, and sensors.

New high-performance 20 MHz eZ8 CPU

Up to 64 KB Flash memory with in-circuit programming capability

Up to 4 KB register SRAM

12-channel, 10-bit analog-to-digital converter

(ADC)

Two full-duplex UARTs

Two Infrared Data Association (IrDA) compliant

endecs

SPI and I2C ports

Four 16-bit timers with capture, compare, and

PWM capability

Watchdog Timer (WDT) with internal RC

oscillator

3-channel DMA

Up to 60 I/O pins

24 interrupts with configurable priority

On-Chip Debugger

Voltage Brownout protection (VBO)

Power-On Reset (POR)

The Z8 Encore! CPU is capable of a nominal

10 MIPs throughput at 20 MHz. The 4 KB SRAM
extends the Z8 Encore!s reach to a wider range of
applications. The 10-bit sigma/delta ADC provides
high measurement resolution, and the SPI, UART,
and I2C interfaces can be used concurrently. The
versatile DMA controllers can be configured in
many useful combinations to free the CPU from
performing unnecessary data transfer overhead.

Copyright 2008 by Zilog, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.zilog.com

Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

Discussion
A discussion on designing a battery charger is presented in this section. For further details, see Reference on page 8.

Theory of Operation
When designing a battery charger, the following
aspects are considered:

Power control techniques to suit different battery

types and capacities.

Charging and charge termination techniques to

avoid overcharging, thus facilitating fast charging.

Safety techniques to ensure safe operation

throughout the charging process.

Setpoint
(VSET /I SET )

+
-

Error

These aspects are discussed in the following

section.
Power Control Techniques
At the core of a battery charger is the DCDC
converter that acts as a regulated power source.
The charger hardware is capable of regulating its
output in various modes, such as constant voltage,
constant current, or constant voltage with a current
limit. The charger can be viewed as a control system in itself.
In Figure 1, an initial setpoint is a charger output
value chosen by you. In a battery charger, the type
and capacity of the battery is the determinant of the
mode of operationnamely, a constant current
source or a constant voltage source. It also determines the required current and voltage setpoints.
These setpoints can be expressed as ISET or VSET.

Control Signal
(PWM)

Controller

Actuator
(Buck Converter)

Output
(VOUT /I OUT)

Feedback Signal
(VFB /IFB)

Feedback Circuits

Figure 1. Feedback Control System

The feedback circuits displayed in Figure 1
measures actual output. The difference between the
initial setpoint and the actual value (feedback
signal) is called an error. The controller generates a
control signal according to the magnitude and
direction of the error. It minimizes the steady state
error and also responds quickly to transient fluctuations during input or output. Controllers usually
work at lower power levels and therefore require
an external actuator to generate the appropriate
output.

In a battery charger, the actuator is a step-down

DCDC converter, also known as a buck converter.
The buck converter converts a higher DC voltage
to a lower one depending on the Pulse Width
Modulated (PWM) control signal generated by the
controller. The frequency of the PWM signal is
maintained at a constant while the width of the
pulse or the duty cycle of the signal varies. This
variation is reflected as a change in voltage and/or
current at the output.
Controllers are differentiated according to the way
they handle errors generated during regulation of

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Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

the system output (in the case of a charger, these

errors are either voltage or current errors). In a proportional controller, the actual value and the set
value are compared, and the resulting error value is
used. In such a system, there exists the possibility
of a steady state error, which is a drawback for the
proportional controller. Adding an integral component to the proportional controller eliminates this
steady state error.

where Kp and Ki are the proportional and integral

constants, respectively.

The equation for a proportional plus integral (PI)

controller is:

Charging and Charge Termination

Techniques

( t ) = ( k1 e ( t ) + k2 e ( t ) dt )
To be useful for a microcontroller-based (discrete)
system, the integral is approximated by a running
sum of the error signal. Thus, an equation can be
expressed as follows called Equation 1:

k1
[ k ] = C1 e [ k ] + C2 e [ j ]

j=0

where C1 and C2 are constants.

Equation 1 is the position algorithm. A better representation for Equation 1 is described in
Equation 2, as follows:

k2

[ k 1 ] = C1 e [ k 1 ] + C2 e [ j ]
j=0

Subtracting Equation 2 from Equation 1 and rearranging the terms yields Equation 3, as follows:

[ k ] [ k 1 ] = ( Kp e [ k ] + Ki e [ k 1 ] )

AN013703-0708

Equation 3 is the velocity algorithm. It is a convenient expression, as only the incremental change in
the manipulated variable is calculated.
For a detailed discussion on controllers, see Reference on page 8.

Different battery types require different charging

methods. The basic charging methods are the constant current and constant voltage charging. The
NiCd and NiMH batteries are charged using the
constant current method, whereas the SLA and LiIon batteries are charged via the constant voltage
method. An on/off current limiter is required when
performing constant voltage charging. These
charging methods are based on the type of battery
and the present state of charge for that battery.
In a constant current method of charging, fast
charging occurs when the charging current equals
the rated battery capacity, C. Fast charging requires
constant monitoring of battery parameters and
precise termination techniques. It is therefore
important to know when to terminate charging.
The behavior of different batteries near full charge
varies and demands different termination techniques. The most common termination techniques
are the negative V, zero V, and the absolute
battery voltage, all of which are based on battery
types. For more information, see Appendix D
Battery Technology on page 15.
Safety Techniques
A battery charger must ensure the safety of batteries. Battery safety is implemented by monitoring
the battery terminal voltage and current against the
battery ratings provided by the manufacturer.
When battery ratings are exceeded, the charging
voltage or current is switched off.

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Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

Z8 Encore!-Based Battery
Charger
This section offers an overview of the functional
architecture of the battery charger implementation
using Z8 Encore!.

Hardware Architecture
The Z8 Encore!-based charger features the following hardware blocks. Figure 2 displays the following hardware blocks:

Z8 Encore! MCU

Step-down DCDC (buck) converter

Feedback section

Battery selector (jumper settings)

LED status indicators

+
Step-Down (Buck)
Converter
Battery

Z8 Encore! MCU

ADC Channels

Converter V/I,
Battery Voltage
Feedback

GPIO as Inputs

Batter Selector
(Jumper Settings)

GPIO as Outputs

Status Indicator
(LED Port)

Figure 2. Block Diagram of Battery Charger

Hardware
In this application, the Z8 Encore! MCUs Ports E
and H are used as GPIO; Port B is used as an ADC
input. Timer1 is used in PWM mode and the output
is tapped at the pin PC1/Timer1 out.

AN013703-0708

The feedback section consists of three differential

amplifiers/attenuators. The corresponding parameters are the converter voltage (VOUT), battery voltage (VBATT), and battery current (IBATT). The
battery current and the converter current are the
same.
The battery type is selected by setting one of the
four jumpers provided. The jumper status is read
initially, and the corresponding routine is selected
for charging.

External
Power Source

PWM Output

The step-down DCDC (buck) converter provides

appropriate voltage or current for the set battery
type and parameters. The buck converter modulates a higher voltage (from the external source)
with a varying pulse width (PWM method) to
generate a lower voltage. The pulse width is controlled by the control algorithm based on the values
obtained from the feedback section. The output of
the external source is preferably set to twice the
value of the converter output voltage (VOUT).

The charger indicates the charger status via LEDs,

which are used to indicate various states such as
successful completion of charging, safety error, no
battery selection, and the specific battery type
undergoing the charging process. Table 1 lists the
status indicators along with a brief description.
Table 1. LED Status Indicators
LED

Status

Description

D4

ON

SLA battery is selected and

charging is ON.

D5

ON

NiCad battery is selected and

charging is ON.

D6

ON

NiMH battery is selected and

charging is ON.

D7

ON

Li-Ion battery is selected and

charging is ON.

D8

ON

No battery is selected.

D9

ON

Safety errorcharging is aborted.

D10

ON

Charging is successfully
completed.

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Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

For the battery charger schematics, see Appendix

BSchematics on page 10.

Software Implementation
All Z8 Encore! peripherals are initialized to the
required mode of operation. The jumper settings
are read and the battery type is validated. When the
battery type is fixed, the battery parameters are
loaded into the variables. At present, these battery
parameters are defined in the header file.
Initially, based on battery ratings, each module sets
the safety and termination thresholds. Then typedependent settings, such as converter voltage, current outputs, and current limit are calculated. When
these one-time calculations are completed, the
charger software enters an infinite loop, which is
broken only by a successful charge completion or a
safety error.
Inside the loop, the ADC reads the actual values
for the converter output voltage, the battery voltage, and the current. The ADC measures the output
voltage and output current of the DCDC converter
as a feedback to the controller. It measures the voltage at the battery terminals as an input to determine
the charge termination.
When the actual values are known, they are
checked for safety limit compliance. The safety
routine is responsible for the overall safety features
associated with the battery charger. The charger
ensures safety by comparing the actual converter
voltage and battery voltage with the calculated
thresholds. Crossing these thresholds switches off
the PWM output, which turns off the converter output and terminates charging functions. Such termination protects the batteries in case of a device
failure. The LED status indicator reflects an unsuccessful termination.

fully charged, charging terminates and the LED

indicators are updated. If the battery requires further charging, the controller calculates the required
duty cycle for maintaining the setpoint at the converter output.
The controller implements proportional plus integral (PI) control to derive the PWM output based
on the equations mentioned in the Theory of Operation on page 2. The timer ISR is invoked every
5 ms. The PWM value computed by the controller
is loaded into the PWM generators to be sent out
via the output pin.
The 16-bit timer PWM mode offers a programmable switching frequency based on the reload value.
This flexibility allows you to trade off between
accuracy and frequency of the PWM switching
signal. The higher the frequency, the lesser the
reload value and the lower the resolution in the
pulse width variation; and vice versa.
The timer ISR also updates the charge termination
variables every 10 seconds.

Testing
This section contains a detailed test procedure to
demonstrate the working of the Z8 Encore! battery
charger as described in this Application Note. The
test setup to demonstrate the battery charger using
Z8 Encore! is displayed in Figure 3.

If everything is within limits, the battery is tested

for full charge. Full charge is tested using different
methods for different batteries (see Appendix D
Battery Technology on page 15). If the battery is

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Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

External DC Power Supply

Oscilloscope
Z8 Encore!
Evaluation
Board

PWM

DC-DC Step-Down Converter

Battery

Feedback Attenuators
PC-HyperTerminal
Charger Hardware/External Circuits

Figure 3. Battery Charger Test Setup

The test setup consists of an oscilloscope and a PC
running the HyperTerminal application. For testing, the Z8 Encore! Evaluation Board is used with
the DCDC converter and the feedback circuits.
An external DC source supplies necessary voltage
and current for the various circuits involved.
The external DC power supply provides two different voltages to the charger circuitsthe DCDC
step-down converter and the feedback attenuators.
The operational amplifier based feedback attenuator circuits are fed with a 12 V supply. The DC
DC converter works on a 812 V DC input for the

batteries tested. The control algorithm provides the

necessary line regulation to sustain the voltage
variation at the input.
During testing, HyperTerminal is set at 57600
baud, 8-bit data, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow
control.
Table 2 lists the equipment used to test the Z8
Encore!-based battery charger.

Table 2. Z8 Encore! Battery Charger Test Equipment

Z8 Encore! Evaluation Board (Z8ENCORE000ZCO)
External power supply
Oscilloscope (Tektronix TDS 724D; 500 MHz/1 GSps)
Multimeter
PC (The HyperTerminal utility is used via the COM2 port of the PC)
Batteries Used

Make

Type

Ratings

BPT40

Sony

Sealed Lead Acid

4 V, 500 mAh

BPT16

Sony

Nickel Cadmium

3.6 V, 270 mAh

CP2010H T014

Panasonic

Nickel Metal Hydride

3.6 V, 150 mAh

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Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

The circuits are connected as per the schematics in

Appendix BSchematics on page 10.
6500

300

V out

6000

290
280

5500

Iout
5000

270
260

V batt

250

4500

240

331
361

301

271

211
241

181

151

91
121

61

0
31

3500

Time in minutes

The NiCd charging profile displayed in Figure 5

indicates a marked hump towards the full charge,
before dropping down. The software effectively
detects this drop and the charging is terminated.

AN013703-0708

91

81

71

61

51

41

31

21

101

160
150

Iout

4800

140

4600

130

4400

120

4200

110

4000

100
1

Figure 4. SLA Charging Profile

5000

Iout in mAmps

20

170

V batt

5200

81

3700

5400

73

40

180

65

3900

60

57

Iout

190

5600

49

80

200

V out

5800

41

4100

6000

33

100

25

120

4300

17

140

4500

160

Figure 5. NiCd Charging Profile

Vbatt / Vout in mVolts

Vbatt

Iout mAmps

V batt / V out in mVolts

180

4700

Time in Minutes

The NiMH charging profile displayed in Figure 6,

lacks a significant drop and is thus terminated
using the zero V termination scheme.

200

Vout

230
11

4000

For SLA batteries, initially the current is effectively limited to 200 mA; it continually falls while
battery voltage increases. The charging profiles
also demonstrate the constant voltage output (Vout)
of the DCDC converter at 4900 mV. See Figure 4.

4900

Iout in mAmps

Vbatt / Vout in mVolts

When the external power supply and the Evaluation Board power supply are switched on, the
PWM waveforms are observed on the oscilloscope.
The battery/converters actual values are indicated
in the HyperTerminal window. The LED status
indicators, as displayed in Figure 2, reflect the
charging status during the charging operation.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 display the test results obtained
while charging various types of batteries.

310

Time in minutes

Figure 6. NiMH Charging Profile

The charging profiles for NiCd and NiMH batteries
demonstrate constant current outputs of 270 mA
and 150 mA respectively. These are equal to their
rated battery capacity measured in mAh. The

Page 7 of 17

Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

charging times for NiCd and NiMH are 1 hour, 45

minutes and 1 hour, 25 minutes, respectively.
Note: Because the SLA and Li-Ion batteries follow similar charging (constant
voltage with limited current) and termination profiles (absolute voltage),
only the SLA battery was charged.
The results are provided in this
document.

Summary
This Application Note demonstrates the use of Z8
Encore! in a battery charger implementation. Ordinary battery chargers can charge batteries of a particular type and of a particular voltage. The Z8
Encore!-based hardware/software provides flexibility such that batteries of different types can be
charged with the same charger.

High Frequency Switching Power Supplies: Theory and Design; author: George Chryssis; ISBN:
0-07-010949-4; Publisher: McGraw-Hill Book
Company

Digital Control Systems, Volume 1Fundamentals, Deterministic Control; author: Rolf Isermann; ISBN: 0-387-50266-1; Publisher:
Springer Verlag

Yuasa Technical Manualhttp://www.yuasabatteries.com/literature.asp

Duracellhttp://www.duracell.com/batteries

Eveready/Energizerhttp://data.energizer.com

Panasonic Li-Ion battery documentshttp://

www.panasonic.com/industrial/battery/oem/
chem/lithion/index.html

Sanyohttp://www.sanyo.com/industrial/batteries/index.html

The Z8 Encore! 10-bit ADC ensures accurate

charge termination, facilitating faster recharge.
Such termination avoids overcharging and
prolongs battery life. The flexibility of the PWM
mode allows for accurate DCDC buck/step-down
converter implementation with excellent line/load
regulation.
The test results clearly demonstrate the charging
and termination mechanisms used by the charger to
successfully charge different battery types.

Reference
The documents associated with Z8 Encore! available on www.zilog.com and electronics references
are provided below:

Z8 Encore! Flash Microcontroller Development Kit User Manual (UM0146)

Power Electronics Design Handbook: Low

Power Components and Applications; author:
Nihal Kularatna; ISBN: 0-7506-7073-8; Publisher: Oxford; Newnes, 1998

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Z8 Encore!-Based Battery Charger

Appendix AGlossary
Definitions for terms and expansions for abbreviations used in this application note that are not commonly
used are listed in Table 3.
Table 3. Glossary
Term/Abbreviation

Definition/Expansion

ADC

Analog-to-Digital Converter

ISR

Interrupt Service Routine

Li-Ion

Lithium Ion

mAh

milli-Ampere-hour: a unit of battery capacity

NiCd

Nickel Cadmium

NiMH

Nickel Metal Hydride

PI

Proportional plus Integral

PWM

Pulse Width Modulation

SLA

Sealed Lead Acid

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Appendix BSchematics
This section provides the schematics for the Z8 Encore! battery charger implementation

F1

Z8 Encore! Interface

IN

PA4
PA5

5V

OUT

D5 RXE160

VDD
GND

VCC

S2G

GND
VDD

U14
LM7805C/TO220/0.5A

GND

80
79
78
77
76
75
74
73
72
71
70
69
68
67
66
65

1
3
2

PA1/T0OUT
PA2
PA3/CTS0
GND
VDD
PF7
PC5/MISO
PD3
PD4/RXD1
PD5/TXD1
PC4/MOSI
VDD
GND
PA4/RXD0
PA5/TXD0
PA6/SCL
C

PE4
PE3

GND

PE2
PE1
PE0

GND

VDD
EXTAL
XTAL

PA0/T0IN
PD2
PC2/SS
PF6
RESET
VDD
PF5
PF4
PF3
PE4
PE3
GND
PE2
PE1
PE0
GND
PF2
PF1
PF0
VDD
PD1/T3OUT
PD0/T3IN
EXTAL
XTAL

64
63
62
61
60
59
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41

VCC

3
1

PE5
PE6
PE7

VDD

3.3V

VIN VOUT
GND

VDD

VDD
C

R14
680
C24

+ C23

0.1

100/6.3

D6

VDD

GREEN

GND
PC1
R17

U19

VCC

GND
RESET

100K

RESET

DS1233A-15
VDD

R3

1M

C1

C2

18pF

18pF

SW4

RESET
PH3
PH2
PB2
PB3
PB1
PB0
PH1
PH0

C46

C49

C50

0.1uF

0.1uF

0.1uF

0.1uF
GND

0.01

Title
Battery Charger using Z8 Encore!
Size
A
Date:

C45
C30

PB3_ALG3
PB2_ALG2
PH2_ALG10
PH3_ALG11

18.432MHz

GND
VDD
PH0_ALG8
PH1_ALG9
PB0_ALG0
PB1_ALG1

25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

Y1

100/10

LT1086-3.3/TO220

GND
AVDD
PH0/ALG8
PH1/ALG9
PB0/ALG0
PB1/ALG1
PB4/ALG4
PB5/ALG5
PB6/ALG6
PB7/ALG7
PB3/ALG3
PB2/ALG2
PH2/ALG10
PH3/ALG11
VREF
AGND

XTAL

0.1

C22
47uF

U16
GND

EXTAL

0.1

PA7/SDA
PD6/CTS1
PC3/SCK
PD7/RCOUT
PG0
GND
PG1
PG2
PE5
PE6
PE7
VDD
PG3
PG4
PG5
PG6
VDD
PG7
PC7/T2OUT
PC6/T2IN
DBG
PC1/T1OUT
PC0/T1IN
GND

Z8F

C21

P3

+ C15

RESET
VDD

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

C17

U1

PW R JACK

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Figure 7. Schematic for Z8 Encore! Interface

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Vp

DC-DC Step Down Converter

R3
D

1K

V_out(+)

R37

V_out(-)

IRF9540
Q1

18E

D2
R1

L1
Q2
2N2222

PC1/ T1OUT
3.3K

120uH

MBR360
C1

R4
470E

C2

(+)

R2
D3
MBR360

2.2K

100uF

V_batt(+)

R5
79E

100uF

BT1

BATTERY
TO BE CHARGED

D1
LED

V_batt(-)
(-)

R6A

10E

R6B

10E

C3

0.1uF

Rsense

I_out(+)
3.3 Volts

LED Indicator Port

I_out(-)

R7
560E

D4
LED

R8
560E

R9
560E

D5
LED

D6
LED

R10
560E

D7
LED

R11
560E

D8
LED

R12
560E

R13
560E

D9
LED

D10
LED

PE1
PE2
PE3
PE4
PE5
PE6
PE7

Title
Using Z8 Encore! as a Battery Charger
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Figure 8. DCDC Step-Down Converter and LED Indicator Port

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0.1uF

0.1uF

C7

C7

R25

1K

R17

Feedback Circuits

12V

R23

10

10K

I_out(+)

PB2/ANA2
V_batt(+)

Battery Current

11

R14

R15

R24
1K

R16
1K

C8
10uF

PB1/ANA1
Battery Voltage

10K

1K

V_batt(-)

R34

LM324
U1A

11

R22

10K

I_out(-)

LM324
U1C

1K

1K
12V

0.1uF
C7

VCC

R21

1K

11

12V

10K
V_out(-)
V_out(+)

R18

7
R19

5
10K
R20
1K

PB3/ANA3
Converter Output Voltage

C10
0.1uF

C9
0.1uF

C11
100uF

LM324
U1B

3.3 Volts

Jumpers for Battery Selection

R30
10K

R31
10K

1
2

PH0

PH1

R32
10K

1
2

PH2

R33
10K

1
2

Note:
1. R14 - R30 all 1% MFR.
2. Signal, Digital, and Power Grounds are connected on
the evaluation board.

1
2

PH3

J2

J3

J4

J5

Title

Select
NiCd

Select
NiMH

Select
SLA

Select
Li-Ion

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Figure 9. Feedback Section and Battery Type Selector Jumper Settings

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Appendix CFlowcharts
The main battery-charging routine is displayed in Figure 10.

Start

Initialize peripherals

Read and verify battery type

Get the battery parameters

Calculate safety limits and thresholds

for charging and termination

Read feedback values for battery voltage,

current, and converter voltage

Within safety limits?

No

Yes

Is the battery charged?

No

Yes

Terminate

Calculate the duty cycle

Figure 10. Flowchart for the Main Routine

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The ISR return routine is displayed in Figure 11.

Start ISR

Reload PWM Value

Update charge ending data every 10 seconds

Return from ISR

Figure 11. Flowchart for the ISR Return Routine

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Appendix DBattery Technology

The four mainstream battery chemistries discussed
in this Application Note feature different charging
and discharging characteristics. Long-term battery
life and performance are critically dependent upon
how batteries are charged. Therefore, it is important to charge batteries with a mechanism specific
to their requirement.
It is also important to know when to terminate
charging, because overcharging of a battery invariably results in poor performance and can damage
the battery in extreme cases. Different battery types
behave differently near full charge condition and
thus require specific charge termination techniques. During charging, all batteries exhibit a
marked rise in voltage above the rated battery voltage.
The four major rechargeable battery typesSLA,
NiCd, NiMH, and Li-Ion, are briefly discussed
below. For further details, see Reference on page 8.
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)
Sealed Lead Acid batteries are most commonly
seen in automobiles. The single cell voltage for
SLA is 2 V. According to their use, several such
cells are connected in series to get higher voltages
such as 12 V/24 V.
SLA batteries are usually charged with a constant
voltage supply of 2.45 V per cell. For this Application Note, 4.90 V is used as the charging voltage
for the 4 V SLA battery.
At the start of charging, depending on their state of
charge, SLA batteries require huge amounts of current. If this current uptake is not controlled, the battery electrolyte may boil, producing gasses inside
the battery. It is therefore necessary to limit the
charging current. When the battery achieves some
charge, the current is limited and constant voltage
charging is enforced.

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The charge termination mechanism is simple and is

achieved as battery voltage reaches the charging
voltage. At the same time, there is a corresponding
drop in charging current.
Nickel Cadmium (NiCd)
NiCd batteries are used in camcorders, Walkmans,
and other similar consumer portable equipment.
The single-cell voltage for NiCd batteries is 1.2 V.
These batteries are charged using the constant current charging method. While charging, as the voltage crosses the full charge point, it starts dropping.
This drop is approximately 15 mV per cell in the
battery. This drop is recognized as a full charge
condition, and charging is terminated. This termination mechanism is named as V termination.
During charging, battery voltage rises to 1.65 V
per cell.
The disadvantage of the NiCd battery is that the
battery must be periodically discharged to protect
performance. In battery parlance, this phenomenon
is known as memory effect.
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
NiMH batteries exhibit higher power density compared to NiCd batteries. The per-cell voltage of the
NiMH battery type is 1.2 V, similar to NiCd batteries.
NiMH batteries are charged via the constant current charging method. While charging, as the voltage crosses the full charge point, the voltage drop
is not as low as for the NiCd batteries. As a consequence, V charge termination is usually not recommended for these batteries. Instead of the fall in
cell voltage, the battery tends to plateau after a
small drop. This flat region is the preferred indication for full battery charging, rather than the drop.
Consequently, this termination mechanism is
named zero V termination.

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NiMH batteries do not suffer from memory effect

as do NiCd batteries. As a result, they replace NiCd
battery types in applications such as cell phones
because the increase in price is justified by the
reduction in weight and absence of memory effect.
Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)
Li-Ion batteries are lighter in weight than NiCd and
NiMH batteries. Available with a high voltage rating of 3.7 V, one Li-Ion battery can replace three
NiCd/NiMH battery types. These two features
make Li-Ion high-energy density batteries. They
exhibit flat discharge characteristics and are free
from memory effect.
If the starting voltage of these batteries is initially
too low, a small constant current is applied until the
battery reaches a certain threshold specified by the
manufacturer. The battery is charged with constant
voltage when this threshold is crossed. Charging is
terminated when battery voltage reaches the rated
voltage.

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Warning: DO NOT USE IN LIFE SUPPORT

LIFE SUPPORT POLICY
ZILOG'S PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE
SUPPORT DEVICES OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL OF
THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL OF ZILOG CORPORATION.

As used herein
Life support devices or systems are devices which (a) are intended for surgical implant into the body, or (b)
support or sustain life and whose failure to perform when properly used in accordance with instructions for
use provided in the labeling can be reasonably expected to result in a significant injury to the user. A
critical component is any component in a life support device or system whose failure to perform can be
reasonably expected to cause the failure of the life support device or system or to affect its safety or
effectiveness.

Document Disclaimer
2008 by Zilog, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this publication concerning the devices,
applications, or technology described is intended to suggest possible uses and may be superseded. ZILOG,
INC. DOES NOT ASSUME LIABILITY FOR OR PROVIDE A REPRESENTATION OF ACCURACY
OF THE INFORMATION, DEVICES, OR TECHNOLOGY DESCRIBED IN THIS DOCUMENT.
Z I L O G A L S O D O E S N O T A S S U M E L I A B I L I T Y F O R I N T E L L E C T U A L P R O P E RT Y
INFRINGEMENT RELATED IN ANY MANNER TO USE OF INFORMATION, DEVICES, OR
TECHNOLOGY DESCRIBED HEREIN OR OTHERWISE. The information contained within this
document has been verified according to the general principles of electrical and mechanical engineering.
eZ8, Z8, Z8 Encore!, and Z8 Encore! XP are trademarks or registered trademarks of Zilog, Inc. All other
product or service names are the property of their respective owners.

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