Nordic Semiconductor (CEO Choi Soo-chul of Nordic Korea) has launched a power management IC optimized for small, ultra-low-power IoT applications, simplifying system design and supporting long runtimes.


Nordic Semiconductor announced today that it plans to expand its portfolio of power management integrated circuits (PMICs), with the launch of its third power management IC (PMIC), the nPM1300, in mid-2023, adding support for large battery charging and four regulated power rails.

Optimized for efficiency and small size (3.1 x 2.4mm WLCSP or 5 x 5mm QFN), the nPM1300 is digitally configurable via an I2C-compatible Two Wire Interface (TWI).

This digital interface provides access to several system management features, such as hard reset, battery fuel gauge, system-level watchdog, power-fail warning, and boot failure recovery, which are typically implemented as discrete components in Bluetooth® Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) embedded designs.

Geir Kjosavik, PMIC Product Director at Nordic Semiconductor, says: “Nordic entered the PMIC market to overcome the limitations of existing power management solutions that are not optimized for small, ultra-low-power IoT applications. “Currently available PMICs require designers to implement essential functions using discrete components, but these functions can be handled internally within the PMIC and implemented at virtually no cost. Nordic has solved these problems,” he said. “Now, Nordic customers can leverage on-chip functionality to enhance product safety and further conserve battery energy.”

Meanwhile, the nPM1300 is designed to provide high-efficiency power regulation for Nordic's advanced wireless multiprotocol Systems-on-Chip (SoCs), the nRF52 and nRF53 Series.

This PMIC features four regulated power rails and a battery charger, making it ideal for compact, advanced IoT products that rely on a host such as the nRF5340 SoC and peripherals such as sensors.

It can also operate with an external power supply of 4.0 V to 5.5 V and a battery voltage as low as 2.4 V, and unregulated input voltages can also be used as the output of the nPM1300.

Additionally, the USB port detection feature allows for automatic current limiting of 100mA or 500mA for standard USB, and up to 1,500mA for USB-C Power Delivery (PD).

It also provides dynamic power path management to automatically switch to battery power when the main power connection is removed, as well as voltage, current and temperature monitoring for accurate fuel metering.

The nPM1300 is currently in limited sampling and will be available from Nordic distributors from mid-2023.