e-Peas has recently released three new Power Management ICs (PMICs), AEM00300, AEM330, and AEM00940 for energy harvesting systems. These ICs are optimized for intermittent and pulsed power inputs. These chips are self-configurable with the ability to automatically switch between buck, boost, and buck-boost operations. These new PMIC comes with selectable and adjustable storage element protection mechanism making them suitable for a wide range of applications such as automation, IoT, etc.
AEM00300 is a storage element charger whereas the AEM00330 is a full power management chip. The ability to switch between different modes allows them to efficiently adjust to different energy sources and improve the energy transfer capabilities of these devices. Both PMICs have an operating input voltage range between 140mV to 4.5V, therefore, the power levels of 3µW to 570mW can be managed. While the AEM00490 is a high-efficiency boost solution that employs an LDO-based output unlike a DC/DC-based one in most other products. It can work at a lower operating voltage of 50mV compared to the storage element charger IC.
All the three PMICs are capable of adapting to single and dual cell supercapacitors, Li-Ion, LiFePO4, Li-Po, NiCd, thin-film batteries, and solid-state batteries. These also feature adjustable and selectable storage element protection mechanism which includes over-discharge and over-charge protection.
“Not all energy harvesting can rely on longer-lasting outputs. There are many cases where only a short burst will be available,” e-peas’ CMO Christian Ferrier states; “By developing solutions that can quickly react to such sources, we are bringing something truly unique to the market. Our new constant voltage PMICs can capture energy whenever it is present, addressing the needs of home and building automation, and many new use cases”
AEM0030 and AEM00940 have a 5mm x 5mm QFN package whereas the AEM00300 comes in a smaller 4mm x 4mm QFN format. The company states that these ICs can be made available in bare die format for higher order quantities. The PMICs are suitable for applications such as IoT, home automation, smart wearables, etc.
