Nordic Semiconductor announces multi-function Power Management IC (PMIC) with unique system management features

Nordic Semiconductor today announces its plan to release a third Power Management IC (PMIC) in mid-2023 to expand its PMIC portfolio. The nPM1300 expands the company’s PMIC offering by adding support for both charging of larger batteries and four regulated power rails. The nPM1300 will be optimized for efficiency and compact size (3.1 x 2.4 mm WL-CSP or 5 x 5 mm QFN) and is digitally configurable through an I2C-compatible Two Wire Interface (TWI). The digital interface provides access to several system management functions that are usually implemented as discrete functions in Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) embedded designs – such as hard reset, battery fuel gauge, system-level watchdog, power loss warning, and recovery from failed boot.

“Nordic entered the PMIC market because existing power management solutions were not optimized for compact, ultra-low power IoT applications. Available PMICs leave it up to the designer to implement vital functionality using discrete components – functions that naturally belong inside a PMIC and can be implemented at almost no cost,” says Geir Kjosavik, Product Director – PMIC, Nordic Semiconductor. “So, we did just that. Nordic’s customers will be delighted to have access to on-chip functions that enhance product safety and provide additional ways of conserving battery energy.”

Designed for advanced IoT

The nPM1300 is designed to provide highly efficient power regulation for Nordic’s nRF52 and nRF53 Series advanced wireless multiprotocol Systems-on-Chip (SoCs). The PMIC’s four regulated power rails and battery charger make it ideal for compact and advanced IoT products based on, for example, an nRF5340 SoC host and multiple peripheral functions such as sensors. Examples include advanced wearables and portable medical applications.

The nPM1300 PMIC operates from an external power supply of 4.0 to 5.5 V and can operate from a battery voltage down to 2.4 V. Two power rails are regulated by separate DC/DC buck converters that are configurable between 1.0 and 3.3 V and up to 200 mA maximum current. The other two power rails operate as load switches—switching currents of up to 100 mA from external sources—but can also perform as Low Drop Out (LDO) voltage converters when powered directly by the nPM1300. When operating as LDOs, these power rail outputs are configurable between 1.0 and 3.3 V with a maximum output current of 50 mA. The unregulated input voltage is also available as an output from the nPM1300.

The nPM1300 charges single-cell Li-ion, Li-Pol, and LiFePO4 batteries with a linear charging module that supports up to 800 mA charge current. The termination voltage is programmable from 3.5 to 4.45 V. The battery charger features automatic thermal regulation with programmable maximum chip temperature during charging to enable simple thermal management that can be adapted to any system requirement.

USB port detection and more

The nPM1300 brings other new advanced features to Nordic’s PMIC range including: USB port detection with automatic current limits of 100 mA or 500 mA through standard USB or up to 1500 mA through USB-C PD (Power Delivery); dynamic power path management which automatically switches to battery power if a mains power connection is removed; voltage, current and temperature monitoring for accurate fuel gauging; and ultra-low current hibernate mode with a programmable wake-up timer in addition to the other system management features already mentioned. The PMIC also features three LED drivers and five GPIOs that can be re-purposed to direct control lines to time-critical control functions as an alternative to serial commands.

The nPM1300 is available for limited sampling now, and will be available to order from Nordic’s distributors mid-2023.