LM3420-xxx

As described elsewhere in this issue, lithium-ion batteries are among the newest on the market. Because of their low weight, however, they are particularly suitable for use in small portable computers and mobile telephones. Owing to some of their properties, these batteries are, however, not compatible with currentgeneration chargers for NiCd and NiMH batteries. Several special ICS are already on the market.. In this article, the Type LM3420-xxx charging controller from National Sem iconductor is described.