From the Sun to Batteries: LT8491, DC2703-A-KIT

3/9/2023 11:18:06 AM

Nowadays, energy from solar panels proves to be efficient enough to power buildings, street lighting, parking meters, etc. However, what happens at night or during a rainy day? The energy provided directly by the solar panels is usually substituted by electricity from the grid or energy previously stocked into batteries to power electric and electronic devices, as you would stock spring rainwater into a tank to use later during the summer.

The DC2703A-A-KIT contains the DC2703A (LT8491demo board) and DC1613A (USB-to-I2C controller). Together they provide a high-performance buck-boost battery charger converter with an I2C interface. The demo board offers the possibility to quickly develop prototypes for devices that store unused energy from photovoltaic systems to batteries. Thanks to a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) function, the system optimizes the charge of a large type of battery. The DC2703-A-KIT with battery charge controller LT8491 is designed to efficiently charge the most common battery type for industrial applications: Lead-acid and Li-ion batteries. The demo board can convert input voltages from 17 to 54 V into an output voltage of 14.2 V at 16.6 A.

The integrated I²C interface provides useful information such as VPANEL, VBAT, PIN and POUT as well as battery charge status and error messages. A configuration program with graphical user interface is also available. Among the numerous Würth Elektronik components on the board, the WE-HCF high-current inductor particularly stands out with its flat wire coil and manganese-zinc-ferrite core characterized by very low core losses, offering a high efficiency.

The demo board is suitable to design mobile and off-grid solar-powered applications with solar panels in the range of 36 to 72 cells (up to 200 W). The LT8491 is highly suitable for battery-equipped industrial equipment, smart street lighting, solar charging stations, and mobile construction work equipment.

Schematic of LT8491 ACL Demo Board

More Insights about the Demo Board

LT8491 features:

Topology-synchronous buck-boost regulator.

VIN range = 6 V to 80 V

VOUT / VBAT range = 1.3 V to 80 V

Automatic MPPT for solar powered charging

I²C telemetry and configuration

Operation via solar panel or DC supply

DC2703A-A kit configuration:

VIN = 17 V to 54 V

VOUT = 14.2 V at 16.6 A