I'm interested in doing a project both for the practice and to be useful. It would be something like a Battery Tender automatic float charger.
The basic idea is a microcontroller to control based on battery voltage and current. If I understand correctly, you charge at maximum current until you reach 14.4V on a 12V battery, then you lower the current to prevent the voltage from going over 14.4V. After the current reduces to perhaps 0.1A, the charge is terminated and float mode keeps the voltage at 13.2V, if the voltage goes under 12.6V, the charge cycle is restarted.
My question is what to use to interface the microcontroller to the battery? Voltage regulator circuit or what. I need to sense voltage and current and control the output. I can come up with something to work but I'm looking for ideas that might be better than mine.
RogerN