First Ionically-Cooled, Wireless Charger Demonstrated at CES 2019
Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT), will demonstrate at CES 2019 a wireless power transmitter that enables mobile OEMs and peripheral manufacturers to design high-capacity wireless charging into their products. The company developed the prototype device around the IDT® P9242-G converged Tx IC and coupled with Ventiva's line of small, silent, vibration-less air movers. The Tx can be used in charging pads, and automotive in-car applications. The demonstration is the result of collaboration and investment by IDT in Ventiva, a Silicon Valley-based startup developing solid-state air moving technologies.
Ventiva's ICE™ technology employs an electric field and a specialized emitter and collector to produce an ionic (or Corona) wind. Charged ions stream from the Ventiva emitter towards the collector. Along the way, ions collide with air molecules and transfer their momentum in an elastic collision, behaving just like billiard balls hitting one another on a pool table. The sustained reaction generates air movement.
The result is an air mover without any moving parts, that is both completely silent and very compact, a combination that is perfect for consumer devices. After 10 years of testing and development, Ventiva says it can now bring this innovative method of thermal cooling to customers. Ventiva also says that its ICE technology can be used across a variety of different product designs that are perfect for cost-sensitive electronic devices.
Diagram of Ventiva's ICE ionic-cooling technology
The pre-production Tx can deliver a sustained 15W of input power to a 15W-enabled wireless power device while ensuring that the smartphone is cool to the touch. The company says that in high-capacity mode, the new Tx charges a receiver device as fast as if it were plugged into an electrical outlet. The Tx is compatible with existing wireless power receivers. Also, the Tx can decrease input power or increase cooling as the charging device requires.
The P9242-G is a highly integrated, magnetic induction, wireless power transmitter supporting applications up to 15W. The system-on-chip device (P9242-G) operates with an input voltage range of 5V to 19V. The P9242-G converges all popular wireless charging protocols including WPC Baseline Power Profile (BPP), Extended Power Profile (EPP), up to 7.5W charging for iPhone, and Android proprietary fast charging modes.
The P9242-G includes a 32-bit ARM® Cortex®-M0 processor offering a high level of programmability while consuming extremely low standby power. The transmitter has two LED outputs with pre-defined user-programmable blinking patterns, buzzer, and programmable over-current protection for a broad range of applications. IDT designed the Tx to support a fixed frequency operation that is compliant to WPC MP-A11 coil configurations. It employs an external oscillator for very accurate 127.7kHz fixed frequency operation. The I²C serial communication lets the user to read information including current, voltage, frequency, and fault conditions. An under-voltage lockout and thermal management circuit safeguard the P9242-G under fault conditions.
The P9242-G is available in a lead-free, space-saving 48-pin VFQFPN package. The product is rated for a -40ºC to +85ºC operating temperature range. IDT points out that the P9242-G is used with the company's P9221-R receiver (RX) for a complete wireless power system solution.
The Ventiva® Ionic Cooling Engine (ICE™) of the Tx has no moving parts and makes no noise. For this reason, the demo device is the first potentially commercial application for Ventiva's air moving technology for thermal management that was only theorized for decades.
"The ultimate goal of OEMs is a wireless power transmitter that charges as fast as wired chargers and without fans and their accompanying noise and vibration. Today the IDT and Ventiva partnership is showing what is possible with a very elegant solution combining world-class wireless power design from IDT and pioneering thermal technology from Ventiva," said Chris Stephens, vice president of IDT's Wireless Power Division. "This latest innovation continues IDT's commitment to deploying significant advances to our wireless charging ecosystem."
"We are thrilled to finally take the wraps off of ICE and honored that the world-leader in wireless charging saw the connection between us and the fastest possible charging speed," said Carl Schlachte, chief executive officer of Ventiva. "In combination with IDT's equity investment, Ventiva is now ready to move our Ionic Cooling Engine to market." Schlachte adds, "This demonstration unit is an example of what I've always wanted, a wireless charger that's super-fast and totally silent. This will spur creativity and as we go into production I expect the wireless power community will come up with new and exciting innovations."
