New automotive wireless charging reduces risk from uncertified products within the market

NXP Semiconductors has announced a new automotive wireless charging reference design, claimed to be the first to be certified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the global standard development body for wireless power, for its new Qi 1.3 standard. The reference design consists of a Qi-certified board with an NXP wireless charging MWCT family MCUs, as well as optional NFC, secure element and CAN/LIN transceiver. The solution also features a software package that includes NXP’s wireless charging Qi 1.3 software library and a complete suite of customisable software solutions that help make it easier for developers to bring a Qi-certified wireless charger to market.

The WPC’s Qi standard is used by most major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and many others. The new Qi 1.3 standard includes new secure authentication features that verify if a smartphone or other wireless power device is Qi Certified and can reduce the wireless power transfer to lower levels if an uncertified device is detected to ensure user safety and protect equipment from damage. This requires the addition of secure storage to the wireless power transmitter, addressed by NXP’s automotive-grade products.

“By combining NXP’s deep security credentials with our automotive expertise and our leadership in high-performance in-vehicle wireless charging, NXP is once again first to market with a complete, production-ready solution for next generation automotive Qi products, ,” said Denis Cabrol, executive director and general manager, IoT and Security Solutions, NXP. “NXP partners can use the flexible hardware platform and customisable software libraries to quickly and reliably create wireless charging solutions that meet their unique needs."

The Automotive 15W Wireless Charging Transmitter reference design includes NXP’s complete wireless charging software library, which customers can customise based on the type of wireless charging application targeted, including scaling solutions from 5 to 15 watts and above with proprietary protocols support readiness, single or multi-coil chargers, and across vehicles fleets.