What this NiCd/NiMH fast charger does on your board
The MAX2003CWE is a battery fast-charge controller IC designed for NiCd and NiMH cells, handling the charge termination and timing logic so the external pass transistor and sense resistor do the heavy lifting.
Supplied in Bulk — loose tubes or trays, not tape-and-reel — so the pick-and-place feeder setup and the per-reel minimum order quantity differ from a reeled part. The part is RoHS non-compliant, which means it contains lead or other restricted substances above the exemption thresholds; a RoHS-compliant build requires an alternative or an exemption letter.
Sourcing and compliance posture
Because it is RoHS non-compliant, the part ships as-is from independent distribution; confirm the end-market RoHS exemption status before committing the BOM.