Maxim introduces a highly integrated USB-C Buck charger with 30% smaller size

     Maxim has introduced the MAX77860 3A Switching mode charger to help designers easily add USB Type-C (USB-C) charging to portable lithium-ion battery-powered devices. The device is the industry's first USB-C buck charger to integrate USB-C port control and charging, eliminating the need for a separate host controller, simplifying the software development process and reducing overall bill of materials (BOM) costs. Applicable to financial payment terminals, mobile power supplies, industrial computers, scanners, wireless communication equipment, multimedia equipment, charging bases, portable speakers and game consoles and other applications.

     Now, a wide variety of consumer electronic devices are starting to adopt USB-C interfaces to support rapidly evolving communication and battery charging functions and achieve smaller design sizes. The current design requires the main processor to detect the current and configure the upper limit of the charger input current. According to the IDTechEx survey, PCS, laptops and mobile phones are driving early adoption of USB-C, and thanks to the popularity of other portable devices, USB-C adoption will reach an annual growth rate of 8.5% in 2020.

     To reduce design size and simplify system hardware and software design, the MAX77860 integrates USB-C Configuration Channel (CC) port detection and a 15W battery charger. These features allow the battery to be charged at the maximum rate of the USB-C specification, reducing the design size by 30% while simplifying the software development process. The CC pin detection feature eliminates the need for an end-to-end USB connection and can self-start charging, simplifying the design.