BATTERY CHARGERSBATTERY CHARGERS SECTION 5 BATTERY CHARGERS Walt Kester, Joe Buxton INTRODUCTION Rechargeable batteries are vital to portable electronic equipment such as laptop computers and cell phones. Fast charging circuits must be carefully designed and are highly dependent on the particular battery's chemistry. The most popular types of rechargeable batteries in use today are the Sealed-Lead-Acid (SLA), NickelCadmium (NiCd), Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH), and Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion). Li-Ion is fast becoming the chemistry of choice for many portable applications because it offers a high capacity-to-size (weight) ratio and a low self-discharge characteristic. RECHARGEABLE BATTERY CONSIDERATIONS IN PORTABLE EQUIPMENT n Amp-Hour Capacity (C) and Cell Voltage n Multiple Cell Configurations: Series/Parallel ……