IN Brief:
- Three pin-compatible PMICs support energy harvesting with 5V charging or a conventional 5V-only design.
- AEM11920 and AEM11921 support 0.40–2.24V harvesting inputs and cold-start operation from 2.4µW.
- All three devices use 3 × 3mm QFN20 packages, with samples and evaluation boards expected in December.
e-peas has introduced three pin-compatible power management ICs that allow electronics manufacturers to offer energy-harvesting and conventional charging configurations using a common PCB layout.
The AEM11920, AEM11921, and SPM10140 share a 3 × 3mm QFN20 package and common pinout. The arrangement allows a manufacturer to configure an electronic product for ambient energy harvesting with an additional 5V charging input, or for charging exclusively from a 5V supply.
The two AEM devices incorporate an energy-harvesting boost converter, regulated buck output, and 5V charging capability. The SPM10140 uses the same mechanical and pin arrangement but is intended for applications that do not require an ambient energy source.
Using interchangeable devices reduces the need to develop separate PCB layouts for the two configurations. The external circuitry must still be adapted to the selected power management IC, including any energy-harvesting component and changes to the mechanical enclosure.
The AEM11920 and AEM11921 support harvesting input voltages from 0.40V to 2.24V. They can regulate the source through maximum power point tracking (MPPT) or a constant-voltage operating mode, providing different methods of managing the electrical characteristics of the connected energy source.
MPPT is relevant to photovoltaic harvesting because a solar cell’s current-voltage characteristic changes with illumination and temperature. Operating the source at an appropriate point on that characteristic can increase the electrical power collected compared with drawing current without regard to the available energy.
Constant-voltage regulation offers a different approach where maintaining a selected source voltage is appropriate. The suitability of either method depends on the harvester and its operating characteristics, rather than the power management IC alone.
Both AEM devices can cold-start from a reported 2.4µW of available power. Cold-start performance is important in harvesting systems because the converter must begin operating when the storage element has little or no usable energy.
Once the power management circuit has started, it can transfer harvested energy into the connected storage element and provide regulated power to the application. The operating behaviour depends on the amount of energy collected, the storage configuration, and the demands placed on the output.
The AEM11921 adds Average Power Monitoring (APM), which estimates both the energy harvested and the energy delivered to the application. The AEM11920 omits this additional monitoring function while retaining the main harvesting and power conversion capabilities.
Power monitoring gives application firmware information that can be used to adjust its operating schedule. A wireless sensor, for example, may be able to perform measurements more frequently when sufficient energy is available and reduce its activity when harvested power falls.
This approach requires coordination between energy management hardware and the application software. Measurement intervals, processing activity, and radio transmissions all contribute to the total energy demand, while the storage element must provide sufficient power during periods when harvesting is unavailable.
The SPM10140 provides the alternative 5V-only charging configuration. It is the first device in e-peas’ Smart Power Manager family and incorporates constant-current, constant-voltage charging alongside a regulated output for the application circuit.
The device can deliver a configurable charging current between 50mA and 400mA to the connected battery. Its integrated buck converter can provide up to 50mA to the application load, while APM estimates the energy delivered to the circuit.
The distinction between charging current and available output current is important. A device capable of charging a battery at 400mA does not thereby provide a continuous 400mA regulated supply to the application through its buck output.
All three PMICs have a claimed maximum buck conversion efficiency of 96%. Actual efficiency will depend on operating conditions, including the input voltage, selected output, and load current.
Conversion losses affect the energy available to the application and the amount of heat dissipated within the device. These considerations are particularly important in systems relying on limited harvested energy or small rechargeable storage elements.
The devices can be configured through GPIO or I²C and include storage protection functions. e-peas specifies configurable protection thresholds between 2.30V and 4.60V, with support for different storage chemistries including lithium-ion, lithium-polymer, lithium iron phosphate, lithium-ion capacitors, and nickel metal hydride.
Individual storage technologies have different charging and protection requirements. The availability of configurable thresholds does not remove the need to establish the correct charging profile, operating limits, and protection settings for the selected energy store.
The company also specifies startup capability with a battery voltage below 2.00V. The significance of that capability depends on the storage chemistry and the conditions under which a deeply discharged storage element can safely be recovered.
The common package and pinout create opportunities to share electronic hardware across several product configurations. A manufacturer could develop one PCB design and select between harvesting and conventional charging according to the intended installation, while retaining much of the supporting electronics and software.
The company identifies remote controls, wireless peripherals, connected sensors, and smart home devices among the potential applications. The same power management principles are relevant to other embedded systems where long operating life, limited maintenance access, and compact hardware influence the energy budget.
Samples and evaluation boards are expected in December, following the devices’ public presentation at electronica 2026 in Munich from 10 to 13 November. The initial evaluations will establish the external component requirements, operating characteristics, and charging behaviour needed for each configuration.
The AEM11920, AEM11921, and SPM10140 provide a shared hardware basis for products using different energy sources. Their integration into production equipment will require separate verification of the harvesting circuitry, storage protection, electrical performance, and software behaviour associated with each selected device.
