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Best voltage regulator for batter driven applications ... DC-DC or 'DCM' ?

I want to develop some battery driven applications that require a constant voltage but may not have a constant supply. Whether the supply be solar, battery, or mechanical. I was looking at developing a circuit like a 'Jewel Thief' that would buck or boost and be very efficient. Then I started looking at finding a chip to do all that work for me. I found the following chip 'MC34063A', but as I read it does not seem to be the right choice. The package is probably what would work best: 8 pin DIP. From reading on 'Joule Thief' designs they can bump up the output voltage when the source voltage drops to as little as 0.6v. The specs on chips I am finding don't see to go that low. I found some information on DC -to- DC converters and wonder if what I am looking for is a 'DCM' chip ?

The source will most likely be a pair of 1.5v batteries in series for 3v. for starters

If someone can provide a link to a chip or even a tutorial on how to select a chip like this would be helpful.

Any help is appreciated. Thank You.

Reply to
Eli Sidwell Iii
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I usually start with a Digikey and Mouser search, because they cover multiple manufacturers. Their search mechanisms are admittedly clumsy, especially for power ICs.

Using the selection aids at Analog Devices, TI, Onsemi, and maybe ST will usually suggest something useful.

By the time 3 volts worth of battery has dropped below about half that, there's not a lot of energy left to squeeze out.

Wanting a DIP package will confine the selection to klunky old parts.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

Science teaches us to doubt. 

  Claude Bernard
Reply to
jlarkin

Batteries have a tendency to leak if pushed that far since the stronger cell will be forcing current through the weaker one. If you are going to run a cell into the ground it is better to just have the one.

Even in normal use I find some previously reputable brands leak like hell these days. Panasonic and Everyready are my favourites now.

--
Regards, 
Martin Brown
Reply to
Martin Brown

The LTC3106 synchronous buck/boost starts up down to 800mV, at $3.50 in small quantities, for low power applications where the output has to be higher or lower than the input it's hard to beat given all the features it offers.

Rolling your own supply for very low-voltage operation is an engineering rat-hole, the integrated solutions do it way better, it's worth spending a couple extra bucks on to save many hours of aggravation unless you're building huge quantity IMO

Reply to
bitrex

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Reply to
Rich S

TI's parametric selector is pretty good:

e.g. TPS61201 provides 3.3V out from as little as 0.3V in; TPS61023 provides up to 5.5V out at up to 3A and works from as little as 0.5V in.

I'm not familiar with those chips; I just know the selector from recently choosing a single-cell Li-Ion buck boost charge controlles with

5.1V out for USB OTG. There are some magic chips out there...

Clifford Heath.

Reply to
Clifford Heath

As JL said, there's not much energy left in a battery at 0.3V. These chips are probably for thermocouples or other low voltage sources.

--------------------------------- Science teaches us to trust. - sw

Reply to
Steve Wilson

Here is one series of buck-boost converters from ADI:

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The first one looks good:
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ADI isn't the only one, so you will have to do your own search.

Reply to
Flyguy

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