Texas Instruments INA240A2PWR | Demoboard TIDA-010042

Description

This reference design is a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) solar charge controller for 12-V and 24-V solar panels. This compact reference design targets small and medium power solar charger solutions and is capable of operating with 15- to 60-V solar panel modules, 12- or 24-V batteries and providing upwards of 20 A output current. The design uses a two-phase interleaved buck converter to step down the panel voltage to the battery voltage. The buck converter and its connected gate drivers are controlled by a microcontroller unit (MCU), which calculates the maximum power point using the perturb and observe method. The solar MPPT charge controller is created with real-world considerations, including reverse battery protection, software programmable alarms and indications, and surge and ESD protection

Features

• 96% efficiency in 12-V systems and 97% efficiency in 24-V systems
• Wide input voltage range: 15 V to 60 V
• High rated output current: 20A
• Battery reverse polarity, over-charge and over-discharge protections
• System over-temperature and ambient light detection capabilities
• Small board form factor: 130 mm x 82 mm x 38 mm

Typical applications

• Power Management
• Actuator Controls / Pressure Regulators
• Telecom Equipment
• Motor Controls / Solenoid and Valve Controls

More information

• Datasheet
• IC product information