The design of switching converters as a standalone block is a well-known topic. However, very specific challenges arise when a DC/DC converter is used to charge a battery pack. Understanding the impact of using a battery as a load, and other charger-related system-level details up-front, is a requirement when designing a DC/DC converter targeted at battery-pack charging. Up-front consideration of those issues will enable the designer to incorporate features and functions during the design phase that are not present in common DC/DC converters but that should be included in DC/DC converters targeted at battery charging. This article discusses the most common benefits and challenges faced when using switching converter topologies to charge battery packs, including specific challenges and design tradeoffs faced when using the battery pack as a load.