IC simplifies implementation of wireless power transmitter systems

The DA4100 WattUp IC is the first chip to be made available following the announcement of Dialog Semiconductor’s strategic partnership and investment in Energous Corporation in November 2016. The investment and partnership saw Dialog become the exclusive component supplier of WattUp ICs and allows Energous to leverage Dialog’s broad sales and distribution channels to accelerate market adoption.

“We’re pleased to see the first results of our partnership with Energous Corporation in the form of the WattUp wireless power RF-transmit IC,” said Mark Tyndall, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, Dialog Semiconductor. “We partnered with Energous because we see the potential of their technology to revolutionise the wireless charging landscape, and we believe this new IC will demonstrate how our partnership can transform device charging.”

“This new IC will be the backbone of transmitters moving forward and our efforts to miniaturise and reduce costs will allow WattUp transmitters to be included in-the-box with many consumer devices,” said Stephen R. Rizzone, President and CEO of Energous. “By combining multiple discrete components present in our early reference designs into a single silicon chip, we can significantly reduce the cost and silicon footprint requirements of our transmitters while decreasing the bill of materials for our customers.”

The WattUp wireless power RF-transmit IC integrates the ARM Cortex-M0+, RF transmitter and power management functionality into a single 7x7mm IC. It also features on-chip DC/DC conversion and software, providing seamless integration to Dialog’s SmartBond family of highly integrated, low power BLE SoCs. The IC minimises required board space, enabling small charging transmitters and simplifying WattUp’s wireless power transmitter system implementation.