Battery-powered electronic devices have become one of the key elements of everyday life, and it’s more practical and cost-effective to use rechargeable batteries over those that need frequent replacement. Battery chargers are an important part of the power-management system of such devices. The battery-charging process has evolved, including the procedure by which the battery is charged and the circuit implementation of this procedure.
Several battery cells are available for supplying electronic devices, each of them with different advantages and disadvantages. This portfolio of battery types, however, is reduced when considering portable devices that also must be lightweight. With this constraint, Li-ion, Li-polymer (LiPo), and LiFePO4 batteries are the most used cells in real applications, with LiPo batteries at the top of the list.