Printed battery power management

Abstract: Printed electronics and low power radio has evolved significantly in recent years. This has made it possible to implement electronic worn on the body or clothing. Printed batteries internal resistance is much higher compared to regular batteries. Unless a battery power management circuit is used, the radio peak current makes that the terminal voltage may drop to a level below the specified supply voltage for the radio, causing operation failure. A large capacitor solves this but a large surface mounted capacitor can be both larger and heavier than the integrated radio circuit. A trade-o_ must be done. Voltage regulation is necessary since the battery voltage is higher than the supply voltage for the radio. Design of capacitor, battery and low-dropout regulator were simulated in the shape of function and life length in LTSpice. The results were compared between theory, simulation and radio measurements.