MCP73871 click
PID: MIKROE-2858
MCP73871 click is a fully integrated solution for system power delivery and Li-Po/Li-Ion
battery charge management. The click features many Li-Po/Li-Ion battery charging
optimizations, used to maximize the battery life. Some of the MCP73871 click features include
constant current and voltage charging algorithms, overvoltage protection, automatic end of
charge control, automatic recharge feature, preconditioning for depleted cells and thermal
management.
All these features, coupled with the ability to simultaneously power up the system load and
charge the connected battery, make this click a perfect solution for powering up many different
battery-operated builds and projects, which use a rechargeable Li-Po/Li-Ion battery, but can also
switch to an external power source.
How does it work
MCP73871 click uses the MCP73871 device, a system load sharing and Li-Po/Li-Ion battery
charge management integrated circuit from Microchip. This device completely manages the
power distribution, utilizing many different steps in this process.
The input voltage is constantly monitored and with no battery connected or with a battery
element which is deeply depleted, the power to the connected load will be delivered straight from
the external power supply, provided from the 5V rail of the mikroBUS™ socket. The current that
can be delivered in this mode, depends on the limiting factor selected by the PRG2 pin. If the
PRG2 pin is set to a LOW logic level, the current will be limited to 80mA - 100mA. If the PRG2
pin is set to a HIGH logic level, the current supplied to the load will be limited to 400mA 500mA.
There are several conditions set by the MCP73871 device, that define the behavior of the power
management logic. If there is a Li-Po/Li-Ion battery connected to the battery connector, the
charging procedure will go through the following steps:
•
•
•
•
•
If the connected battery is deeply depleted and the CE (Charge Enable) pin is set to a HIGH logic
level, the preconditioning mode is activated. The charging current is only a fraction of the
regulated charging current, used for fast charging, preventing battery damage and overheating.
If the battery voltage is above the preconditioning threshold voltage set by the MCP73871
device, the fast charging will begin, and the charging current is set by the PRG2 pin, like
described above and a voltage equal to 4.35V, as per factory settings of the MCP73871 IC.
When the charging complete conditions are met, the charger circuit will stop the charging
process. The battery voltage is monitored, and when it falls under the recharge threshold,
another charging cycle will be repeated.
During all the charging modes, the temperature of the MCP73871 die is monitored, so the
charging current is regulated accordingly. The overtemperature protection will put the device in
the shutdown mode, preventing damage.
If the Timer is enabled by the TE pin, it will be used to limit the charging time, if the battery
voltage never reaches the end-of-charge condition.
The MCP73871 power-sharing system logic, enables to simultaneously charge and power up the
system load, connected to the onboard output screw terminal. The power-sharing system is active
at all times and always prioritizes connected load over the battery charging. Li-Po/Li-Ion battery
can be connected to the onboard 2.54mm two-pin header. There are three LEDs that are used to
indicate power good status, as well as the charging status. The status LED signalization is
explained in the Status LED table, below.
Specifications
Type
Battery charger
Applications
A perfect solution for powering up many different battery-operated builds and projects,
which are powered up by a rechargeable Li-Po/Li-Ion battery, but can also switch to an
external power source while charging the battery.
On-board
modules
Microchip's MCP73871 - Stand-Alone System Load Sharing and Li-Ion/Li-Po Battery
Charge Management Controller
Key Features
Ability to simultaneously power up the system load and charge the connected Li-Ion/LiPo battery by applying optimized battery charging algorithm.
Interface
GPIO
Input Voltage 5V
Click board
size
M (42.9 x 25.4 mm)
Pinout diagram
This table shows how the pinout on MCP73871 click corresponds to the pinout on the
mikroBUS™ socket (the latter shown in the two middle columns).
Notes
Set Charging Current
Charge Enable
Pin
Pin
PG2
1 AN
PWM
16 TE
NC
2 RST
INT
15 NC
CE
3 CS
RX
14 NC
NC
4 SCK
TX
13 NC
Notes
Enable Safety Timer
Ground
NC
5 MISO
SCL
12 NC
NC
6 MOSI
SDA
11 NC
NC
7 3.3V
5V
10 +5V
GND
9
GND 8 GND
MCP73871 click electrical specifications
Description
Min Typ Max Unit
Charge Current (if PG2 is low) 80
100 mA
Charge current (if PG2 is high) 400
500 mA
Onboard settings and indicators
Label Name Default
Description
LD1 PWR
-
Power LED indicator, green
LD2
-
Power good LED, blue
LD3 STAT2
-
Status LED, green
LD4 STAT1
-
Status LED, red
VBAT
-
Battery connector
TB1 VOUT
-
External load connector
J1
PG
Status LEDs table
Charge Cycle State
STAT1
STAT2
PG
Shutdown (VCC=VBAT)
Off
Off
Off
Shutdown (CE=L)
Off
Off
On
Preconditioning
On
Off
On
Constant Current
On
Off
On
Power Supply
GND Ground
Constant Voltage
On
Off
On
Charge Complete - Standby
Off
On
On
Temperature Fault
On
On
On
Timer Fault
On
On
On
Low Battery Output
On
Off
Off
No Battery Present
Off
Off
On
No Input Power Present
Off
Off
Off
Software support
We provide a library for MCP73871 click on our LibStock page, as well as a demo application
(example), developed using MikroElektronika compilers. The demo can run on all the main
MikroElektronika development boards.
Library description
Key functions:
void mcp73871_enablePinControl(uint8_t pinState)- Controls the enable pin, enabling or
disabling the click as needed
void mcp73871_progPinControl(uint8_t pinState)- Sets the input current to either 100 or
500 mA
void mcp73871_timerPinControl(uint8_t pinState)- Enables or disables the safety timer
Example description
The application is composed of three sections:
•
•
•
System Initialization - Initializes required pins as outputs.
Application Initialization - Initializes the click driver, and enables the click board.
Application Task - This is the example of MCP73871 click functions usage. It enables this click,
sets input current to 100mA, and enables safety timer.
void applicationTask()
{
//Enables the click - Note: this is already done in driver initialization
mcp73871_enablePinControl(1);
//Sets input current to 100 mA - Input value of 1 sets the current to 500
mA.
mcp73871_progPinControl(0);
//Enables safety timer
mcp73871_timerPinControl(0);
}
The full application code, and ready to use projects can be found on our LibStock page.
mikroSDK
This click board is supported with mikroSDK, the MikroElektronika Software Development Kit.
To download mikroSDK visit LibStock. For more information about SDK, visit the official page.
Downloads
mikroBUS™ standard specifications
LibStock: MCP73871 click library
MCP73871 datasheet
MCP73871 click schematic
https://www.mikroe.com/mcp73871-click 1-15-18