22. December 2010 by admin.

From: http://makezine.com/makeitlast/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Make+Newsletter+December+2010&utm_content=Make+Newsletter+December+2010+CID_4bf43fa9357c29ce8d277a0f4863d8d9&utm_source=Email+Campaign&utm_term=Make+It+Last+landing+page

Welcome to Make It Last, a project build series and contest, sponsored by Microchip and Energizer. Over the course of this contest, we’re going to cover a series of three project builds, demonstrating some of the finer points of low-power microcontroller design. We’re hoping these will be fun, informative projects and a good introduction to using “bare” microcontrollers and learning more about the relationship between microcontrollers and power management. Starting with basic components, we will build up each design and you can follow along in a series of Make It Last build newsletters. We will be awarding some really cool prizes at the end of each build, based on the quality of your submission, what you learned in the process, your documentation, etc.

Second Build: The Robotic Plant

[November 18 - December 22, 2010]

For the second project, we’ll build a robotic plant seedling that will use its microcontroller brain to monitor its environment, and bloom when the time is right. The whole project will be housed in an ordinary plant pot, and thanks to an energy-efficient design, should be able to lie dormant for months, even years, on a single set of AA batteries. That means you could set it by your window and be delighted when it finally wakes up, or give it as a gift to a patient robot enthusiast for safekeeping.

As with the first build, this one is also a contest that you can enter for a chance to win some awesome prizes. We’ll provide instructions on how to build our example plant, that you can follow along at home, however, you are free to design something completely on your own. The official rules are below. Your build must be powered by a battery, have some plant-like quality, and be capable of responding to input from its environment. The rest is up to you!

Enter Here!

Posted in Battery Power, Energizer, Make Magazine, Low Power, Contest, Microchip | Print | 1 Comment »

15. November 2010 by admin.

Download it from: http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1824&appnote=en551273

This application note details the practical considerations for more efficient use of the MCP1640 device in applications. It also gives ideas on how to increase battery life.

Posted in DC Boost Converter, Battery Power, Application Notes | Print | 2 Comments »

26. May 2010 by admin.

This Application Note covers the recharging of Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. It will also cover the recommended charge profiles for the NiMH/NiCd and Li-Ion battery chemistries.

Posted in Battery Power, Application Notes, analog, PIC, Microchip | Print | 1 Comment »

18. April 2010 by admin.

From http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=2680&dDocName=en545243

Looking for a tool to estimate the battery life for your embedded application? Download the XLP Battery Life Estimator software utility today!

The XLP Battery Life Estimator is a free software utility to aid you in developing eXtreme Low Power applications with Microchip’s PIC MCUs featuring XLP technology. The tool estimates average current consumption and battery life. The utility allows users to select the target device, battery type, the application’s operating conditions (such as voltage and temperature) and finally model the active and power-down times for their applications. The tool comes pre-loaded with specifications of Microchip’s PIC MCUs featuring nanoWatt XLP technology and commonly used batteries in embedded applications. Users can also create additional profiles for a custom battery of their choice, if necessary.

XLP Battery Life Estimator Beta version Features
● Profile your application RUN & SLEEP time (duty cycle)
● Select operating temperature and operating voltage
● Pre-loaded with electrical specifications of all PIC^® MCUs featuring XLP technology 
● Pre-loaded with most common battery specifications
● Customizable to allow you to add other battery and peripheral device profiles and specifications

Posted in Battery Power, Low Power | Print | 1 Comment »

11. January 2010 by admin.

From: http://www.qwikandlow.com/

As embedded microcontrollers reach into all corners of modern life, many applications can benefit from coin-cell battery power. Some benefits are reduced product size and cost, enhanced design simplicity, portability, and electrical isolation. Microchip Technology, the number one supplier of 8-bit microcontrollers in the world, is using their nanoWatt Technology features to achieve these benefits.This book explores how these features impact the design process. It employs the Qwik&Low board shown on the cover as the learning vehicle for the reader. The board is available as Microchip Technology’s Part No. DM183034. For purchase information, see http://www.qwikandlow.com/purchase/ This book introduces the reader to code writing for a microcontroller via a series of template files and using Microchip’s free version of their C compiler for their PIC18 family of microcontrollers. Free supporting tools are available at the author’s website, http://www.qwikandlow.com, including QwikBug, a debugging user interface for downloading code to the Qwik&Low board, running that code, and debugging it using a serial PC connection (via either a serial cable or a USB-to-serial adapter).About the author: John Peatman, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the author of six earlier textbooks (two from Prentice Hall and four from McGraw-Hill).

Posted in Debugger, Battery Power, Qwik&Low, Complier, 8-bit, Free Stuff, PIC, Books | Print | 1 Comment »