Power Management Circuits and Battery Operated Environments
Power management strategy should be clearly thought out while configuring a battery powered system. The selection of the battery is not the only thing involved. You have to consider chemistry, protection, fuel gauges, and charging methodology too.
The power conversion strategy you select will have a significant effect on the efficacy and dynamic performance of the system. Custom power systems are more suited if you want to play with the power management strategy. Their flexibility and ability to adapt to various conditions are well-known.
Batteries can be divided into two major groups- primary batteries and secondary batteries. The fundamental difference between these two types of batteries is their ability to recharge after the power has been discharged.
Primary cells cannot be recharged and you have to throw them after the power is drained. For this reason, power management systems, especially large ones, usually use secondary batteries. The latest types of secondary batteries are fuel cells and Li-poly batteries.
Apart from the power management system used by the battery, there are many other considerations when selecting the final battery for your use such as cost, performance, efficiency, and size. If you are looking for efficiency, you should go for Switched Power Converters. There will be some switching EMI noise but then the efficiency of the system is relatively independent of the output current and line voltage. SPC systems are also the choice of many embedded engineers.
