Advanced wireless charging chips from ST make phones and tablets charge faster

     STMicroelectronics opens the era of wireless charging for mobile devices with the world's first wireless charge controller chip that supports the industry's latest faster mobile device charging standard.Mobile phones and tablets are very intensive and need to be recharged multiple times a day. With wireless charging technology, users do not need to carry chargers or bulky charging banks when they go out, and the charging speed is as fast as traditional wired charging. Major mobile device manufacturers have begun to support wireless charging technology, joined the wireless charging industry alliance, and launched wireless charging mobile phones.

     Frequent users need their devices to be fully charged at all times, and with wireless charging technology, they can put their mobile devices down for a few minutes during breaks or meetings. To enable this, the Wireless Charging Consortium (WPC), the managers of the widely adopted Qi standard, has introduced the Extended Power Profile standard for faster charging. By increasing the maximum charging power from 5W to 15W, the new Profile triples the charging speed of mobile devices.

     As the first wireless charge controller chip in the market to support the QiExtendedPower standard, ST's STWBC-EP has the highest energy efficiency in its class, with a standby power consumption of only 16mW and the ability to wirelessly transfer 80% of the input power to the receiving device. This chip also uses ST's unique technology to give users a better experience. These unique technologies include ST's patented technology that improves active presence detection by quickly waking up the system when a compatible device is placed in the charging area. The patented technology also improves foreign matter detection (FOD), which automatically cuts off power when objects containing metal are too close to the charger, preventing overheating. Other unique innovations improve power control accuracy and energy transfer efficiency to maximize charging efficiency and ease of use.

     DomenicoArrigo, General manager of ST's Industrial and Power Conversion Products division, said: "ST's advanced wireless charging chips enable equipment manufacturers to develop new high-power products with superior functionality and energy efficiency. Support for the QiExtendedPower standard dramatically reduces charging times, and our patented presence detection technology and safety innovations greatly improve charging safety and ease of use.

     The STWBC-EP's high level of integration simplifies wireless charger design, while offering flexible and variable operating voltages, making it compatible with input voltages from 5VUSB to 12V. To help end product developers accelerate time to market for new products, ST has developed an associated reference design along with a Qi15W launch pad and introductory documentation for development. In addition, ST also offers a 15W receiver chip (STWLC33) for high-speed charging receiving devices, which developers can use to complete the wireless charging design.