The company says the PMIC was developed for highly efficient energy regulation for primary cell applications. The 150 nA I_Q internal boost regulator is currently said to be the  most efficient on the market. It is capable of delivering output voltages from 1.8 to 3.3 V from input voltages of 0.7 to 3.4 V. Target applications include almost all out-of-the-box products that can be used immediately without charging, such as wearables and smart home sensors. The nPM2100 PMICs are available together with other Nordic Semiconductor products at www.rutronik24.com.

According to a survey by the European Commission's information service for research and development (CORDIS), around 28 billion primary batteries are currently thrown away every year. The production of this type of battery requires on average 50 times the energy it can store, without the entire stored energy of the cell ever being used. The nPM2100 power management IC (PMIC) significantly extends the service life of primary cells and the products equipped with them, thereby helping to reduce battery waste.

The company says the nPM2100 is optimised for maximum efficiency and highly efficient power control for any primary cell application: Precise, algorithm-based fuel gauging allows access to the entire energy in the battery with minimal additional load. Standard voltage-based estimates are often inaccurate, leading to premature replacement or unexpected depletion.

 One notable feature of the nPM2100 is its special shipping mode (Ship Mode). This means that devices with a pre-installed battery can be transported without the need for a plastic tab to prevent the battery from losing power. The mode requires a sleep current of only 35 nA with various wake-up options, including the patent-pending ‘break-to-wake’ function: Allowing a buttonless product to wake up from Ship Mode by simply interrupting an electrical connection.

Hibernate mode reduces the sleep current to 175 nA for up to three times longer battery life with time-controlled wake-up functions. In addition, the PMIC features an extremely energy-efficient timer for deeper sleep settings.

Thanks to its extensive software support, the PMIC can deliver optimal performance in combination with Nordic's nRF52, nRF53 and nRF54 wireless multiprotocol SoCs. However, the nPM2100 is also suitable for use with host devices from other manufacturers.

Supported cells include one or two AA/AAA batteries (in series) or a 3V CR2032 button cell, single or dual silver oxide batteries and zinc-air button cells. Any other battery within the PMIC's input voltage range can also be used.

Samples of the nPM2100 are available in compact 1.9 x 1.9 mm WLCSP and 4 x 4 mm QFN16 packages. The nPM2100 Evaluation Kit from Nordic enables easy evaluation and code-free configuration of the nPM2100.