SparkFun Energy Harvester Breakout - LTC3588

The SparkFun Energy Harvester Breakout - LTC3588 is a versatile breakout board featuring the LTC3588 Piezoelectric Energy Harvester from Linear Technologies. It is designed for harvesting both piezoelectric and solar energy, with a bridge rectified input for piezo elements (PZ1 and PZ2) and a direct input (VIN) for DC sources, both clamped to 20V. Furthermore, this board can operate as a standalone nanopower buck regulator.

The board possesses an ultralow quiescent current undervoltage lockout (UVLO) mode with a wide hysteresis window. This feature allows charge to build up on an input capacitor until the buck converter can efficiently transfer a portion of the stored charge to the output. When in regulation, the LTC3588 enters a sleep state to minimize both input and output quiescent currents, with the buck converter switching on and off as needed to maintain regulation.

With four pin-selectable output voltages (1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V and 3.6V), and up to 100mA of continuous output current, the board comes pre-configured for an output of 3.3V. However, the output capacitor can be adjusted to service a higher output current burst. The board also includes an input protective shunt set at 20V, allowing for greater energy storage for a given amount of input capacitance.

Key Features:

• Input Quiescent Current of 950nA (Output in Regulation – No Load)
• 450nA Input Quiescent Current in UVLO
• 2.7V to 20V Input Operating Range
• Integrated Low-Loss Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier with up to 100mA of Output Current
• Selectable Output Voltages of 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V, 3.6V
• High Efficiency Integrated Hysteretic Buck DC/DC
• Input Protective Shunt – Up to 25mA Pull-Down at VIN ≥ 20V
• Wide Input Undervoltage Lockout (UVLO) Range

The SparkFun Energy Harvester Breakout - LTC3588 is an excellent choice for projects that require energy harvesting. Whether it's harnessing the power of the sun or the vibrations of a piezoelectric element, this board provides a flexible and efficient solution. Its nanopower buck regulator functionality also makes it a reliable choice for low-power applications. With its wide input operating range and selectable output voltages, this board offers a high level of adaptability, making it a valuable addition to any electronics project.