One of the biggest problems that continue to face design engineers is power. And in an era where faster, smaller, and more-functional portable devices dominate the playing field, the power problem has become more complex, more design-intensive, and more important than ever.
Portable devices such as mobile phones, multimedia players, gaming consoles, notebook PCs, the rapidly evolving netbooks—all devices that have enabled the consumers to work, communicate, and play while on the go—are all running on portable power, provided by the more commonly used NiMH or Li-ion/polymer batteries/battery packs. As applications become more complex, the demand for high-performance power systems continues to grow to accommodate the increasing number of functionalities in these devices.
Despite major developments in terms of battery chemistries and power management technologies, the portable power segment continues to be plagued by problems. Who will forget the massive battery recalls in the notebook PC industry two to three years ago? In fact, just in August last, Lenovo again has announced battery recalls—this time for battery packs of its ThinkPad models T60, T61, R60, R61, X60 and X6.
Apple’s iPhone, the darling of smart phones, has its share of issues. According to recent reports, one week after the release of the new iPhone 3GS, some owners have complained of overheating; others even claim explosions. For the latter case, Apple denies battery overheating as a cause. On the other hand, the company did admit overheating issues in some iPhone 3GS units.
In portable devices, overheating could only be due to faulty batteries, not design (because if the problem is in the design, the device might not be working at all). Well, for its part, Apple blames external factors. For instance, the company warned users not to leave the units in cars because temperatures in parked cars can exceed the operating temperature range that iPhone 3G and 3GS units were designed to function in properly.
This issue of
EDN Asia Portable Power Supplement highlights portable management designs for portable and battery powered systems, as well as features lowering power consumption in portable device applications. These include techniques that engineers can consider when doing their next portable power system designs, which might be helpful in preventing yet another series of battery recalls or overheating issues.
