The Texas Instruments BQ24201DGNRG4 is a linear charger IC for single-cell Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer battery packs, delivering a constant charge current up to 500 mA with a regulated battery voltage of 4.1 V. It integrates over-temperature and short-circuit fault protection, and allows the designer to program the charge current and safety timer via external components.
A 500 mA maximum charge current targets single-cell Li-Ion packs in the 500 mAh to 1500 mAh range — think portable medical devices, handheld instruments, or battery-backed IoT edge nodes. The constant-current (CC) charging profile is fixed; the programmable timer prevents overcharge if the battery never reaches the 4.1 V regulation threshold. For larger packs (above 1500 mAh), the charge time at 500 mA becomes impractically long, and a higher-current charger or a switching topology would be the better fit.
The BQ24201DGNRG4 carries an Obsolete product status per the manufacturer. If your design is still in the prototype phase, consider evaluating a current-production single-cell Li-Ion charger from TI's portfolio to avoid a future last-time-buy scramble.