The MAX8922L linear battery charger safely charges a single-cell lithium-ion (Li+) battery. Charging rate is optimized to accommodate the thermal characteristics of a given application. There is no need to reduce the maximum charge current at the worst-case charger power dissipation. Charging is optimized for a single Li+ cell using a control algorithm that includes low-battery precharging, voltage and current-limited fast charging, and top-off charging, while continuously monitoring for input overvoltage and device die-temperature conditions. The fast-charge current and top-off current thresholds are programmable by a simple 1-Wire® serial interface. The charger status and valid input power are indicated by two open-drain outputs (active-low CHG and active-low POK).