NXP IC ideal for solar battery charge controllers

NXP Semiconductor has launched the MPT612, a low-power IC dedicated to performing the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) function for applications using solar photovoltaic cells or fuel cells.

Supported by a patent-pending MPPT algorithm, the MPT612 IC can deliver up to 98 per cent efficient power extraction in applications such as solar battery charge controllers, distributed MPPT and micro-inverters.

The MPT612 from NXP can also be configured for a variety of DC solar charge controller applications using MPPT, such as battery chargers for portable devices and home appliances; railway and traffic signals; and street, garden and driveway lighting.

It is also ideal for non-storage-based electric motors for water pumps and fans, NXP said.

The flexible MPT612 solution is based on a low-power, 32-bit ARM7TDMI-S processor, which supports multiple serial interfaces including I2C, UART, SPI and SSP.

The MPT612 features hardware functions needed in photovoltaic (PV) applications, including voltage and current measurement, as well as panel parameter configuration, and is able to send an output signal to control external switching.

The IC is available with object files including NXP's MPPT algorithm, an application-specific software library, and easy-to-use application programming interfaces (APIs).

The API for system configuration can set the topology for buck or buck-boost, enabling optimal battery charging even in tropical regions during the summer when PV MPP voltage can be lower than battery voltage.

The MPT612 offers up to 15KB of flash memory for application software, as well as three levels of flash Code Read Protection (CRP) to safeguard user-developed code.

The MPT612 is supported by development tools from Flashmagic, IAR, Keil and others.

NXP will also offer an easy-to-use, comprehensive development tool kit.

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