IC enables up to 98% efficient power extraction says NXP

Supported by a patent pending mppt algorithm, the MPT612 ic is said to deliver up to 98% efficient power extraction in applications such as solar battery charge controllers, distributed mppt and micro-inverters. According to NXP, the device can also be configured for a variety of dc solar charge controller applications using mppt, such as battery chargers for portable devices and home appliances; railway and traffic signals; and street, garden and driveway lighting. "Compared to traditional pwm controllers, mppt controllers can extract up to 30% more power from a solar PV panel," said Jan Willem Vogel, senior director, industrial applications marketing, NXP Semiconductors. "Our expertise in high performance mixed signal technologies has enabled us to develop a unique mppt ic and algorithm that enables PV integrators to further improve efficiency across a wide range of solar cell and fuel cell applications, as validated through extensive testing over an extended period of time." The MPT612 is based on a low power, 32bit ARM7TDMI-S processor, which supports multiple serial interfaces including I2C, UART, SPI and SSP. It features hardware functions needed in PV applications, including voltage and current measurement, as well as panel parameter configuration and is able to send an output signal to control external switching. The device is available with object files including NXP's patent pending mppt algorithm, an application specific software library, and application programming interfaces (APIs). NXP says the API for system configuration can set the topology for buck or buck-boost, enabling optimal battery charging even in tropical regions during the summer when PV MPP voltage can be lower than battery voltage.