TI details the wireless power chip in the Lumia 920, offers four times the charging area
If you're one of the first on your block to have picked up a Nokia Lumia 920, you might wonder why it's so forgiving with where you set it down on the wireless charging pad. TI is more than willing to share. The 920, 820, Fatboy charging pillow and JBL PowerUp speaker all use a new TI bq500410A controller whose support for new transmitters gives it a charging area four times larger than we're used to. The 2.76 by 0.79 inches of coverage might not sound like much, but it's much wider than the previous 0.71 square inches while preserving a 70 percent efficiency and a safety cutoff if something gets in between. As a companion, there's a bq51050B chip launching at the same time that represents the first Qi receiver with its own built-in battery charger, which TI claims can charge more quickly and in less space than its rivals. Anyone embracing Nokia's vision of Windows Phone 8 can get their hands on devices using the wireless power chips today; we're only left hoping that TI's official news means other phone makers can tag along.
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TI transforms mobile charging experience with wireless power
Single-chip wireless power receiver with integrated battery charger enables faster, more efficient charging; next-generation transmitter expands charge area
DALLAS (Nov. 7, 2012) – Making wireless power a reality, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced its first single-chip wireless power receiver with integrated battery charger and a new "free-position" transmitter integrated circuit, which expands the charge area by 400 percent. The two bqTESLA™ circuits give smartphone users a simpler, stress-free charging experience and help designers implement wireless power technology in more places, such as automotive consoles, charging pads and office furniture. For samples and bqTESLA development kits, visit: www.ti.com/wirelesspower-pr.
TI's bq51050B is the industry's first Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) 1.1 Qi-compliant wireless power receiver with integrated direct battery charger, and enables faster, more efficient charging of smartphones, wireless keyboards and other portable electronics. The unique 20-V receiver combines rectification, voltage conditioning, communication control and Li-Ion charging capability in a single, tiny integrated circuit, – eliminating the need for a separate battery charger circuit. The inductor-free, single-stage design delivers the industry's highest system efficiency and saves up to 60-percent board space compared to a multi-stage implementation.
In addition to the receiver, TI's bq500410A is the first WPC 1.1-ready wireless power transfer controller to support A6 transmitters. The controller allows a Qi-compliant smartphone or other portable device to charge in a surface area of at least 70 mm by 20 mm, 400-percent larger compared to today's 18-mm by 18-mm "bull's-eye" charge space. The bq500410A achieves greater than 70-percent efficiency, and relies on a unique parasitic metal and foreign object detection feature to safely protect the system and stop delivering power if a metal object is detected between the transmitter and receiver.
Wireless power at electronica 2012
TI's receivers and bq500410A transmitter ICs are included in the new Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 smartphones and wireless charging accessories, such as the Nokia BH-220 Bluetooth headset and DT-38 cradle, JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker docking station with built-in NFC, and the Nokia Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy, which TI will demonstrate in its booth at electronica (Hall A4, Booth 420) on Nov. 13-16.
Making wireless power a reality
Wireless power is an emerging technology that creates a better charging experience for consumers, just as Wi-Fi replaced the need to use an Ethernet cable for Internet connectivity. TI's advanced receiver and transmitter integrated circuits, design tools and resources are making wireless power a reality. TI has current solutions that support Qi-compliant devices, and will expand its portfolio to support future, viable technologies. As the leading provider of power management ICs, including battery management and power supply technology, TI relies on power design expertise to drive innovations in wireless charging.
Availability and pricing
The bq51050B comes in a 1.9-mm by 3.0-mm WCSP package or 4.5-mm by 3.5-mm QFN, and is priced at US$2.75 in 1,000-unit quantities. A bq51051B version with 4.35-V charge voltage is available. The bq500410A comes in a 48-pin, 7-mm by 7-mm QFN package, and is priced at US$3.18 in 1,000-unit quantities.
