Using nRF51822 with a 3V coin cell

[Mahesh Venkitachalam]

Is there a recommended boost converter for using nRF51822 with a 3V coin cell? I'd appreciate a pointer to a schematic.

Thanks

[Nenik]

You don't need boost converter for 3V power source. nRF51822 runs from 1.8V. From a 3V coin cell, you can even use the built-in buck (stepdown) converter to reduce the battery drain while the battery is fresh.

[Mahesh Venkitachalam]

Thanks. But if you have peripherals/sensors that use 3.3V, I am guessing that you will need one.

[JohnBrown]

Without knowing how much current your peripheral/sensors draw, or how long they are active for, it's a difficult question to answer. I would suggest that you look into the characteristics of coin cells, as they are not really design for high current applications AND long life, as far as I know.

[Øyvind Karlsen]

Hi,

As Nenik said you can use the nRF51 down to 1.8V. Depending on your peripherals you could be fine using a 3V battery, I would recommend checking the datasheets. Maybe you could also look towards other battery types that provide 3v3 from the get-go?

If you do use a boost converter, make sure to not supply the nRF51 indiscriminately from this boost converter, as the added switching noise might deteriorate the performance of the chip, particularly the radio.

As for an explanation on general boost converter circuitry I recommend this tutorial on youtube. Even though his tutorial is based on a 50W boost converter, you can see that there are a lot of essential components being used. For a simpler boost converter you would still add some size and bill of material cost to your project.

Best regards,

Øyvind

[Mahesh Venkitachalam]

Thank you.