Tag Archive for: P2110 Powerharvester

Powercast’s Chipset and RF Energy Harvesting Reference Design Enable Low-Cost Wireless Power over Distance

Powercast’s Chipset and RF Energy Harvesting Reference Design Enable Low-Cost Wireless Power over Distance

Pittsburgh, PA — February 22, 2012 — Powercast Corporation, a provider of innovative wireless power technology, today announced its RF-based wireless power chipset and reference design for embedded, low-power, wireless charging applications. The chipset and reference design, available for license, will make it easy and more affordable for OEMs to embed Powercast’s core RF energy-harvesting technology into their battery-less, or rechargeable battery-based devices, enabling RF energy (radio waves) to perpetually power them. Powercast’s embedded technology will convert RF energy received from either dedicated RF transmitters or ambient sources (such as mobile phones) into DC power. This wireless, embedded power supply then powers or charges its devices from within, eliminating connectors, charging contacts, and the need to replace batteries. Applications include wireless sensors for remote monitoring, portable electronic devices, and other low-power devices.

The chipset and reference design enable OEMs to directly embed the same functionality provided by the company’s P1110 or P2110 Powerharvester® receivers, but with more flexibility in terms of footprint and frequency selection, and at significantly lower cost. The energy-harvesting reference design converts RF energy to DC down to -12dBm of input power over a frequency range from 1MHz to 6GHz, and provides an output up to 5V to either trickle-charge batteries, or power battery-less devices.

The chipset consists of Powercast’s three custom chips for RF-to-DC conversion and power management. The licensable reference design contains all design files needed to embed the Powerharvester functionality and 100 sample chipsets for prototyping. Customers may use any 1MHz to 6GHz RF transmitter of sufficient power with a properly-tuned Powerharvester receiver. For example, the P2110 design coupled with a 6 dBi receiving antenna receives power from up to 40 feet (12 meters) away from Powercast’s TX91501 3-watt RF transmitter.

As a predictable energy source, RF energy can provide automated charging, power-over-distance, one-to-many charging, and controllable wireless power (continuous, scheduled or on-demand) for zero-maintenance devices while eliminating charging cords and the need to replace batteries. Because Powercast’s energy-harvesting receiver can also be powered by existing UHF RFID readers, it can be used for stand-alone wireless charging applications, recharging battery-assisted passive RFID tags, or powering passive wireless sensor tags.

In some cases there is sufficient ambient power available from mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, and mobile networks to operate low-power devices. With advances in lower-power electronics, and the emergence of 1-V-or-less MCUs, full ambient RF harvesting from mobile networks could eventually be ubiquitous. Powercast has demonstrated its P2110 Powerharvester harvesting ambient power from a nearby mobile phone and powering a battery-less, wireless sensor, as well as recharging devices such as a wireless mouse, keyboard, and game controller.

The reference design’s bill of material (BOM) cost, including the Powercast chipset, is estimated to be less than $2 per unit in high volumes. The chipset, part number PCC210, is available through Powercast’s global network of distributors. Customers should contact Powercast directly to discuss terms of the license agreement or custom engineering services. The design of Powercast’s TX91501 transmitter is also available for license.

About Powercast
Powercast Corporation is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies for low-power applications. Powercast’s products and technologies provide wireless power over distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and enable devices to be powered or charged without wires and connectors. Contact Powercast on the web (www.www.powercastco.com), via phone (1.800.963.6538) or at 566 Alpha Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238.

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Editorial Note: A block diagram of the Powerharvester receiver is available:
https://www.powercastco.com/company/media-kit/

PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@www.powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Powercast P2110 Powerharvester Receiver Named as 2011 Design News Golden Mousetrap Best Product Winner

Powercast P2110 Powerharvester Receiver Named as 2011 Design News Golden Mousetrap Best Product Winner

Pittsburgh, PA — March 29, 2011 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced that Design News has named its P2110 Powerharvester® receiver as the 2011 Golden Mousetrap Best Product Winner in the category of wireless/mobile components.

The P2110 Powerharvester receiver converts radios waves (RF energy) into DC power for low-power, wireless applications such as remote monitoring, building automation, and real-time location systems. Embedded into electronic devices, the receiver provides wireless power to trickle charge batteries, eliminating the need to replace them, or it can power battery-free devices and eliminate batteries altogether. The receiver harvests RF energy from 850-950MHz and operates at 40-45 feet (12-14 meters) from a 3W transmitter using a reasonably-sized receiving antenna.

The P2110 can also harvest GSM signals from mobile phones in close proximity enabling a new class of battery-less devices for personal area networking. With the ability to receive power behind walls or other obstacles, the P2110 includes I/O for MCU control, data and RSSI output, and supports user-configurable, regulated output voltages up to 5.25V.

“The products highlighted in this year’s Golden Mousetrap winners and finalists clearly demonstrate both cutting-edge design ideas and the practical evolution of technologies for systems and product design engineers,” said David Greenfield, Design News Editorial Director. “Design News congratulates all the engineers and their companies who have been recognized with the Golden Mousetrap Award, and we are grateful for their contribution to this year’s competition.”

“We are honored that Design News has selected our P2110 RF energy harvesting component for this award,” said Harry Ostaffe, vice president of marketing and business development at Powercast. “This achievement recognizes our dedication to developing unique, wireless power solutions for low-power devices, enabling savings in labor costs, increased product reliability, device mobility, and user convenience.”

Broadcasted RF energy creates a predictable, controllable power source to provide power-over-distance and one-to-many charging. Unlike potentially unreliable or intermittent solar, heat or vibration micro-power energy sources, the P2110 Powerharvester receiver allows wireless devices to charge and operate completely untethered from the power source. This wireless power supply embeds within electronic devices such as wireless sensors and tracking tags, enabling them to be sealed, tamper-proof, water-proof, and more reliable. The resulting zero-maintenance devices can deploy to inaccessible or hazardous locations, and sensor networks can scale to thousands of nodes while eliminating the material and labor costs of battery replacement.

About Design News
Design News, founded in 1946, is the leading technical resource for design engineers, who create everything from planes, trains and automobiles to cellular phones, medical devices, and, just about every other product on the planet. For more information, visit: http://www.designnews.com/

About Powercast (www.www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

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PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@www.powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460