Nordic Semiconductor's Flexible nPM1300 PMIC Aims to Simplify Battery-Based Bluetooth LE Builds

Nordic Semiconductor has announced the launch of its latest power management integrated circuit (PMIC), the nPM1300 Power Management IC, promising simpler system design for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) projects in the wearables, handheld, and smart home fields.

Designed to boost system efficiency while reducing the number of components required to handle power tasks in a design, the Nordic Semi nPM1300 PMIC comes with two 200mA buck DC-DC regulators, two 100mA load switches — which can be configured as a pair of 50mA low-dropout (LDO) power regulators, if required.

The part also features a lithium-ion, lithium-polymer, and LiFePO4-compatible battery charger capable of delivering from a 32mA to a 800mA charging current, with USB Type-C support as a power input, while a hardware-based battery fuel gauge comes with the claim of high accuracy.

To help reduce the complexity of a battery-powered Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) design, the nPM1300 PMIC also includes peripheral connectivity: there are five general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins alongside three dedicated LED drivers, allowing the PMIC to take over tasks which would have previously required a microcontroller or tied up the host processor. The PMIC is controlled via an I2C-compatible Two-Wire Interface (TWI), for ease of integration.

Key to the nPM1300 PMIC's functionality is a smart system for hardware monitoring, including a system-level watchdog and support for recovering from a failed boot. The chip also includes an intelligent power-loss warning system, making it ideal for designs where reliable power may not always be available. Finally, the part includes an integrated hard reset function which can be tied to one or two buttons.

Nordic Semi is positioning the nPM1300 PMIC as a perfect partner for its nRF52 and nRF53 families of Bluetooth systems-on-chips (SOCs), and has a quick way to get users up and running with the new part: the nPM1300 Evaluation Kit, a ready-to-run board which offers code-free configuration of the nPM1300 PMIC.

Controlled via the nRF Connect for Desktop bundle's nPM PowerUP app, the board includes pin headers for all nPM1300 PMIC pins, three LEDs, four push-button switches, and a pair of USB Type-C connectors for power and communication. Once tested, the PMIC configuration can be exported as code ready for use with a host microcontroller.

The Nordic Semi nPM1300 Power Management IC is now available in the channel, alongside its evaluation kit; more information is available on the Nordic Semi website.