Supercapacitors - are there charging ICs for Makers?

RE: Supercapacitors - are there charging ICs for Makers?

redcharly — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 20:56:05 GMT

Very interesting! Thanks

RE: Supercapacitors - are there charging ICs for Makers?

michaelkellett — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 09:18:36 GMT

If you are making your own boards it isn't that hard to solder MSOP or QFN packages with a centre pad underneath.

Design a hole in the pcb under the centre pad , at least 1mm diameter but bigger if you can.

If MSOP solder the part on in the usual way by hand (fine point on iron, lots of flux, very thin solder wire helps.

If QFN apply solder paste to the outside pads with a pin, put some on the centre pad if you like. Reflow on a hotplate (cheap will do - just lift the pcb off as soon as the solder flows.) You may well need to touch up the outer pads with flux, more solder or maybe remove shorts with a small size of solder wick.

In either case you can now check and or solder the bottom pad through the hole. If soldering use an iron with a larger bit and wire solder.

(design the board with thermal breaks around the the centre hole - else you'll struggle to get it hot.)

I've used a variation of this process on Altera FPGAs in 144 pin TQFP with a huge centre pad. I used 16 holes in it.

Hope this helps - it's not exactly fun but can be useful.

RE: Supercapacitors - are there charging ICs for Makers?

baldengineer — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 21:15:55 GMT

Mikroe sells the UPS Click. It has a Linear Tech/Analog LTC3225 charger IC.

https://www.mikroe.com/ups-click

The form factor fits their "Click" boards, but it is very easy to either breadboard or Arduino-stick to them. (I used it in the Workbench Wednesdays video on energy harvesting with supercapacitors.)

It is very easy to use, but it does cost about 25 USD. But hey, it also comes with two cells pre-soldered for you! [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]

That said, I've found hot air soldering QFN with low-temp solder works out pretty well, even if it has a ground pad.