Application Note
Using the EnerChip™ CC in Energy Harvesting Designs
EnerChip CC Overview
Cymbet EnerChip
TM
solid state batteries are highly rechargeable energy storage devices packaged in low
profile, surface mount, solder reflowable packages. Their low self-discharge, high charge-discharge cycle life,
and ability to accept very low input charging current combine to make them ideally suited as energy storage
devices in low power applications. These include backup power sources for real-time clocks, microcontrollers,
and memory chips to maintain operation during periods when main power is interrupted. EnerChips are also
well suited as energy storage devices for wireless sensor nodes where energy is harvested from ambient
power sources. The integrated battery and power management circuitry included in the EnerChip CC products
provides supply voltage threshold detection, an automatic energy storage switchover function, and EnerChip
charge-discharge control circuitry - all in a compact surface mount package that includes the EnerChip storage
device. Figure 1 depicts the EnerChip CC surface mount package and the CBC-EVAL-10 development module
designed for evaluating the EnerChip CC devices in energy harvesting applications.
AN-1036
Figure 1. EnerChip CC CBC3150 (left) and the CBC-EVAL-10 Energy Harvesting Evaluation Kit (right)
EnerChip CC Energy Harvesting
The EnerChip CC can be configured to collect energy from transducers such as low power photovoltaic (PV)
cells and use that harvested energy to charge the integrated EnerChip and deliver self-sustaining power to
components such as microcontrollers, sensors, and radios in wireless systems. Figure 2 illustrates a typical
implementation of the EnerChip CC in energy harvesting applications. In order to make most efficient use
of the power available from the transducer (for example, a PV cell), it is necessary to know the electrical
characteristics including voltage and peak power point of the transducer being used. This Application Note
describes a low cost energy harvesting circuit using the EnerChip CC to collect, convert, store, and deliver to the
Figure 2. Implementing Energy Harvesting with the EnerChip CC CBC3150
AN-72-1036 Rev A
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