I have always liked NuCurrent because of their involvement with wireless power. This company started as a Northwestern University graduate-student project that had the goal of powering implanted neurostimulation devices. As a company, from 2009 to 2013, they focused on implanted medical devices powered by wireless power transmission.
Then, in 2013, they moved toward developing breakthroughs in wireless power with advances in wireless power systems, integration processes, and components.
They have an excellent track record in wireless power just in the last few years:
- Co-developed the A21 coil with Texas Instruments for the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard (see slide 38 of this Texas Instruments presentation)
- Invented and patented industry-leading magnetics technology and produced, NuIQ Technology, the thinnest, smallest, and highest Q printed antennas in the world, routinely achieving 20-70% higher Q/lower ESR
- Developed and certified the highest Q and best uniformity resonators in the world for the AirFuel standard
- Engineered full system designs for products with power needs ranging from 1 milliwatt to 300 watts
- Developed hyper-accurate hardware simulators providing +/-2.5% real-world accuracy, enabling faster time to market with fewer hardware spins
- Efficient Power Conversion worked their magic with GaN power elements and NuCurrent coils in the demonstration system EPC9120
How’s that for innovation!
The latest innovation by NuCurrent
NuCurrent has advanced the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi standard with their MP-A17 transmitter design, and has produced the first of its kind 15W extended power profile (EPP) charger design, with a z-height of 12mm – about 3× the established standard.
NuCurrent's design will become part of the WPC specification at the next meeting of the standards body, and its first transmitter design is anticipated to be added to the WPC website database of transmitters and the WPC test bed the week of 8/12.
MP-A17
This is a specification for a 15W Qi-based charging coil with extended z-height and positioning flexibility in which NuCurrent proposed, designed, developed and advanced through the WPC Specification Working Group. The Final specification is expected in September 2019 (at the WPC Quarterly meeting)
This new architecture and software configuration expands charging volume between the transmitter and receiver and provides options for different designs, use cases and user experiences.
Coil parameters
Figure 1 Coil parameters (Image courtesy of NuCurrent)
Why is this important to the wireless power industry?
Prior to this NuCurrent design, inductive charging required precise coil alignment and very little separation between coils. The first wireless phone chargers were limited by alignment, positioning, charge speeds, and charge reliability shortcomings that necessitated moving the cell phone around until a good wireless power connection was made.
Embedding wireless power coils in a dresser or night table used to require cutting into surfaces to embed chargers versus being able to have an under-table/through-surface charger. Another problem was that users with cases and other accessories had to either remove or re-position their accessories for wireless charging to work.
NuCurrent's MP-A17 design greatly improved upon these previous shortcomings. Their new coil design extends the z-height and overall charging volume for Qi transmitters and at the highest power level available under the standard (15W). This now enables faster charging speeds and easier alignment and separation distance positioning.
Ultimately, this is a notable improvement to the Qi standard and will enable innovative designs and use cases with better user experiences.
User examples
Greater z-height or separation to achieve their design requirements will now enable many new applications for wireless charging. One example is in a handheld computer/scanner for logistics companies that have ruggedized cases and hand straps. The metal contacts in those devices are major failure points due to the harsh environment, and by including wireless charging, those contacts can be eliminated. However, due to the separation distance caused by the industrial design, standard Qi charging wouldn't work. The z-height needed to be expanded. This work resulted in the following products.
Transmitter/cradle
Receiver/device
Advancing the Qi standard
Having solved multiple high-z challenges prior to the development of MP-A17, NuCurrent developed intellectual property that influences the following attributes of the MP-A17 design including:
- Coil design
- Proprietary simulation and testing
- Hardware architecture
- Component selection
- IC firmware controls (in collaboration with NXP)
Many within the WPC, which includes technology giants like Apple, Google, Dell, Siemens, and others, felt that MP-A17 couldn’t be achieved, but NuCurrent’s innovative approach ultimately solved what others have not.
The near future
The initial MP-A17 transmitter will be added to the WPC product database and test bed in the coming days per the WPC's schedule. NuCurrent is currently supporting multiple production-intent programs that will feature this design, and I would expect other manufacturers will want to leverage their design and integration expertise to take advantage of this innovation, particularly in the furniture, automotive, phone accessory, and wireless charging infrastructure markets. I fully expect to see more exciting innovations from NuCurrent.
—Steve Taranovich is a senior technical editor at EDN with 45 years of experience in the electronics industry.
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- Wireless charging technology charges mobile devices more conveniently
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