The LTC1960 is a highly integrated battery charger and selector intended for portable products using dual smart batteries. A serial SPI interface allows an external microcontroller to control and monitor status of both batteries.A proprietary PowerPath architecture supports simultaneous charging or discharging of both batteries. Typical battery run times are extended by 10%, while charging times are reduced by up to 50%. The LTC1960 automatically switches between power sources in less than 10µs to prevent power interruption upon battery or wall adapter removal.The synchronous buck battery charger delivers 95% efficiency with only 0.5V dropout voltage, and prevents audible noise in all operating modes. Patented input current limiting with 5% accuracy charges batteries in the shortest possible time without overloading the wall adapter.The LTC1960’s 5mm × 7mm 38-pin QFN and 36-pin narrow SSOP packages allow implementation of a complete SBS-compliant dual battery system while consuming minimum PCB area.ApplicationsPortable ComputersPortable Instruments