Microchip Accelerates Development of Automotive and Consumer Qi Transmitter
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has released the Qi 1.3 specification that needs authentication for improved safety when transmitting as much as 15W of power from a transmitter along with a receiver.
To qualify of the specification, Microchip Technology Inc. has launched the Qi 1.3 wireless charging reference design providing developers of wireless charging systems for automotive and consumer applications using the necessary tools and support for that seamless integration and certification of new-generation product designs.
For wireless charging system developers launching certified Qi 1.3 transmitters under tight timelines, Microchip's three-coil Qi 1.3 reference design provides a jump for product development. The reference design fully integrates secure storage subsystem software using the wireless power microcontroller (MCU) and is an adaptable solution, enabling custom topologies and foreign object detection (FOD) implementation.
As a normal member in the WPC, which sets global standards for wireless charging of cellular devices, Microchip provided expertise during development of the recently released Qi 1.3 specification. Qi 1.3 is a significant update from Qi 1.2.4 and mandates hardware-based authentication between transmitter and receiving devices for power transfer above 5W. By adhering to the new authentication standard, designers can ensure phones receiving 15W are receiving it from the Qi-certified authenticated transmitter for the utmost safety.
\”Wireless charging makes it simple and convenient for consumers to charge devices and, consequently, interest in these systems within the automotive and consumer segments is rising,\” said Joe Thomsen, v . p ., MCU16 business unit. \”Microchip's Qi 1.3 reference design, tools and support help engineers to meet rapidly evolving development requirements and let easy certification from the new Qi 1.3 transmitter designs, speeding time to market and easing end-product certification.\”
Included in Microchip's reference design solution for wireless charging systems are required elements: Qi controller, Qi software, provisioned authentication controller that's a WPC-approved secure storage subsystem and crypto software libraries that execute around the Qi controller. The reference design includes complete schematics, bill of materials, software and style guidelines. Microchip is partnering with Avnet to make evaluation boards for that Qi reference design available to qualified customers around the world.
To support its Qi 1.3 wireless power solution, Microchip offers the dsPIC33C group of devices to operate the Qi application software and also the ECC608/TA100 secure storage subsystem provisioned by Microchip as a licensed WPC Manufacturing Certificate Authority. As a total system solution, this reference design also incorporates MIC4605 and MCP14700 gate drivers, MCP16331 and MCP1725 regulators, an MCP6C02 current sense device, an ATA6563 CAN transceiver and an MCP9700 temperature sensor.