Andreas Wacker
Texas Instruments

This application report explains how to use the TPS61200 in combination with a single solar cell to charge a battery or storage device. A characteristic of solar cells is the internal resistance that can vary from less than 10 Ω up to more than 100 Ω. Therefore, it is important to control the load placed on the solar cell to ensure a reliable start-up of the application. This report describes an application that avoids the solar cell output voltage breaking down and manages the load as the solar cell power changes. The solution provides a reliable start-up of the TPS61200 using solar cells that can deliver at least 3 mA at 0.5 V.