Product Review

This is a lithium ion and lithium polymer battery charger based on the MCP73833. It uses a USB mini-b for connection to any computer or 'USB wall adapter'. charging is done in three stages: first a preconditioning charge, then a constant-current fast charge and finally a constant-voltage trickle charge to keep the battery topped-up. The fast-charge current is 500MA by default, but is easily adjustable from 100MA up to 1000MA by soldering a through-hole resistor on-board. This board is great for DIY projects because it has 3 indicator LEDs - one for power, one for charging status and a third that indicates when charging is complete. You may also keep the battery connected to the charger and pass power through the additional jst connector using the included cable.