If effort is the problem, and cost isn't, considering buying an LT3652 development kit from Digikey or elsewhere: http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/programmers-development-systems/ev= aluation-and-demonstration-boards-and-kits/2622039?k=3Dlt3652 It does the MPPT for the solar panel and manages the charging of the battery, with appropriate cutoffs so it doesn't need to be a trickle charge= .. -Adam On Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 1:23 AM, Bob Blick wrote: > I have an MSP430 project here at home that runs off a single LiFePO4 > cell and I'd like to charge it off a solar panel. > > Capacity is not important to me, or efficiency, I just want the cell to > survive as many cycles as possible and not spend much effort with any > fancy charging methods. > > I was hoping to be able to float it at some safe voltage, if there is > one. My maximum charge current is less than 0.1C. > > My best guess is that somewhere below 3.4 volts is probably safe since > that's where a fully charged cell settles after a few days. > > Any LiFePO4 experience out there? > > Thanks! > > Bob > > PS My experience with LiFePO4 so far: I also have a Philips brand solar > light that I purchased a couple of years ago, it has a single LiFePO4 > cell and kills them after 100 days, so I know that you can't just > trickle into them and expect many cycles! > > -- > http://www.fastmail.fm - IMAP accessible web-mail > > -- > http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .