Nordic Semiconductor’s nPM2100 Power Management IC extends battery life of primary cell-powered Bluetooth Low Energy products
The nPM2100 PMIC incorporates an ultra-efficient boost regulator and a wide range of energy-saving features to significantly extend operating time in non-rechargeable battery applications
Nordic Semiconductor, a global leader in low power wireless connectivity solutions, today announces a further addition to its nPM family of Power Management ICs (PMICs). The nPM2100 PMIC prolongs the operating time per battery for primary (non-rechargeable) battery applications by managing energy resources using an ultra-efficient boost regulator and a wide range of energy-saving features. Application examples for the nPM2100 include wireless mice and keyboards, consumer asset tracking, remote controls, and body-worn medical devices.
According to CORDIS, 28 billion primary batteries are discarded worldwide each year[1] and manufacturing a primary battery requires, on average, 50 times the energy it stores, making it an extremely inefficient energy source[2]. Worse yet, inefficient power management wastes a substantial part of the stored energy, resulting in many batteries being thrown away before they are fully depleted. The nPM2100’s boost regulator and unique energy-saving features—including primary-cell fuel gauging—address power management inefficiencies while also ensuring that all the battery’s stored energy is used before the cell is thrown away.
“Nordic’s PMIC offering plays a vital part in the company’s continued focus on providing the lowest power IoT solutions possible for our customers,” says Kjetil Holstad, EVP - Strategy and Product Management at Nordic Semiconductor. “We are excited to expand our PMIC lineup by offering our first primary cell PMIC and thus unique power saving capabilities for non-rechargeable products. This product serves as a testimony to the incredible skill levels of our engineering teams.”
“Not all IoT products can rely on rechargeable batteries or energy harvesting to operate. This means that primary batteries aren’t going away any time soon,” says Geir Kjosavik, Product Director - PMICs, at Nordic Semiconductor. “However, by using the nPM2100, designers will be able to access much more of the energy stored in those primary cells, making products last longer between battery changes or allowing the use of smaller batteries for the same battery life - resulting in more compact, lighter, and less expensive products.”
Power management for SoCs and MCUs
The nPM2100 manages the power supply for low-power Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) or microcontrollers (MCUs) such as Nordic’s nRF52, nRF53, and nRF54 Series advanced wireless multiprotocol products. The PMIC is optimized for maximum efficiency and compact size and is configurable through an I2C-compatible Two Wire Interface (TWI). This interface enables easy access to configure a range of advanced functions, including ship mode and accurate battery fuel gauging. The PMIC also features two GPIOs that can be repurposed to direct control lines to time-critical control functions as an alternative to serial communication.
The nPM2100 targets primary battery applications. Examples of supported batteries are one or two AA/AAA/LRxx batteries (in series), or one 3 V LiMnO2 cell. Single- or dual-cell silver oxide and zinc-air coin-cell batteries are also supported, plus any other primary battery that operates within the nPM2100’s input voltage range.
The nPM2100 features a boost regulator with an output range of 1.8 to 3.3 V, powered from an input range of 0.7 to 3.4 V. The regulator can deliver up to 150 mA maximum current. The regulator also powers a Load Switch/LDO supplying up to 50 mA across an output range of 0.8 to 3.0 V. The regulator features a quiescent current (IQ) of 150 nA and delivers up to 95 percent power conversion efficiency at 50 mA and 90.5 percent efficiency at 10 µA, making it one of the most efficient contemporary boost regulators on the market.
Low current ship- and hibernate-modes
The nPM2100 PMIC features a low current ship mode that enables products to be transported with the battery inserted. The ship mode supports a 35 nA sleep current with multiple wakeup options, including a patent-pending ‘break-to-wake’ function. This function allows a buttonless product to wake up from ship mode when an electrical connection is broken.
The PMIC also features an ultra-low power wakeup timer that can run concurrently with ship mode to allow timed wakeups. The timer can be used for a deeper sleep setting than the power-off of a SoC or MCU can provide. The nPM2100’s total current draw in hibernate mode is less than 200 nA. Such a low current draw can extend the battery life of applications that use sporadic Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) advertising—for example, sensors in a sensor network—by up to 3x.
In the case of Nordic’s lowest power wireless SoC, the nRF54L15, waking up periodically to do a Bluetooth advertising, listed below are the battery life improvements expected from the nPM2100’s hibernate mode compared to using the lowest power timed standby mode of the SoC:
- 2.5-minute wakeup intervals: 25 percent longer battery life
- 4-minute wakeup intervals: 50 percent longer battery life
- 9-minute wakeup intervals: doubled battery life
- 60-minute wakeup intervals: tripled battery life
Precise algorithm-based fuel gauging
The nPM2100 supports precise algorithm-based fuel gauging, a feature not commonly found in PMICs for primary-cell batteries. The common method for estimating remaining energy consists of measuring the battery voltage and using a discharge curve-derived look-up table to estimate remaining energy is inaccurate and often leads to end-users replacing batteries before they are depleted, or worse – running out of battery unexpectedly. In contrast, the nPM2100 supports a voltage and temperature-based fuel gauge running on the host microprocessor that enables more accurate battery level measurements and enables users to access all the energy in the battery with confidence. The software-based fuel gauge places minimal additional load on the battery.
Ultra-compact packages and availability
Samples of the nPM2100 are available now. It comes in a compact 1.9 by 1.9 mm WLCSP and will later also be available in a versatile 4 by 4 mm QFN package. The nPM2100 is expected to be in full volume production during the first half of 2025. Interested parties can contact their local Nordic sales representative for more information.
