TPS65217CRSLR

The TPS65217CRSLR from Texas Instruments is a single-chip Power Management IC (PMIC) specifically designed to power the AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor in portable and 5 V line-powered applications. The PMIC integrates a linear battery charger supporting single-cell Li-Ion and Li-Polymer batteries, a dual-input power path (USB and AC adapter) with 2 A output current capability, three high-efficiency 2.25 MHz step-down converters for core, memory, and I/O voltage rails, two adjustable LDO regulators, two configurable load switches (also usable as LDOs), and a WLED boost converter supporting two strings of up to 10 LEDs each with 25 mA per LED. The I2C interface (address 0x24) provides full register-level control with password-protected access for safety-critical settings. The device operates from -40°C to +105°C, making it suitable for industrial environments.

The TPS65217CRSLR manages power through a dual-input power path that can simultaneously accept USB (5 V) and AC adapter (5-20 V) inputs. The power path controller prioritizes the AC adapter when available and falls back to USB or battery power. The linear battery charger uses a constant-current/constant-voltage (CC/CV) algorithm with programmable charge current up to 700 mA, thermal regulation, and safety timers. The three buck converters operate at 2.25 MHz fixed frequency in PWM mode for optimal efficiency at moderate-to-heavy loads, and automatically switch to PFM (power-save) mode at light loads to maintain high efficiency. Each buck converter can achieve 100% duty cycle for minimum dropout operation. The WLED driver uses a boost converter to generate sufficient voltage for up to 20 series-connected LEDs, with an internal PWM generator for brightness control. Protection features include undervoltage lockout (UVLO), battery fault comparator, always-on pushbutton monitor, and hardware reset. The I2C interface with Level 1 and Level 2 password protection prevents accidental register modification.

• BeagleBone platforms: Complete power solution for BeagleBone Black and AM335x-based SBCs
• Industrial handhelds: Battery-powered portable instruments requiring multi-rail power and USB charging
• Smart home gateways: Always-on IoT hub with battery backup and WLED status indicators
• Portable medical devices: Multi-rail power for ARM-based patient monitoring with Li-Ion battery management
• Embedded tablets: Battery-powered Linux/Android devices based on AM335x with display backlight