Powercast Corporation, the go-to source for the entire spectrum of wireless charging solutions, has partnered with Etherdyne Technologies (ETI) to license their Magnetic Resonance technology, adding this technology to Powercast's growing portfolio of wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies. Powercast's goal is to provide the convenience of a one-stop shop for all things wireless power, short to long range, microwatts to kilowatts, with an engineering team that can apply the best solution to fit every customer's application. Powercast's comprehensive suite of wireless power solutions enables manufacturers to build sustainable, maintenance-free devices, eliminating the need for wires and disposable batteries.
"We had long-range RF (radio frequency) and short-range SmartInductive covered, but by adding Magnetic Resonance, we can now apply mid-range solutions that deliver more power than RF, and with more freedom of placement than induction offers," said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. "With full capabilities across wireless power, we can save manufacturers time and money, and help them create sustainable, maintenance-free, wire-and-disposable-battery-free devices."
Powered by ETI’s technology, Powercast’s Magnetic Resonance solution wirelessly delivers up to 100 watts of total power within a 3D magnetic energy field, covering areas as large as a typical desktop (4 x 2 feet). A flexible wire loop embedded into a surface creates a Wire-Free Power Zone, where devices equipped with power receivers can convert magnetic energy into electricity to operate or recharge.
Example applications include:
- Wire-Free Desk: Powers devices like monitors, laptop charging stands, mice, keyboards, desk lamps, and Qi-compatible phone chargers.
- Wire-Free Wall or Workbench: Enables seamless recharging of power tools hung or placed within the power zone.
"This partnership represents a powerful step forward for the wireless power ecosystem," said Jeff Yen, CEO, ETI. "By combining our strengths, we're empowering engineers and innovators with tools that make it easier than ever to design, prototype, and deploy wire-free solutions at scale."
Powercast’s wireless power transfer technologies operate on the same principle—transmitters sending energy to embedded receivers—but differ in power output, transmission distance, and alignment requirements to support a wide variety of applications:
Image: Powercast Technologies: With full capabilities across wireless power, Powercast aims to provide a one-stop shop for manufacturers to save their time and money, and help them create sustainable, maintenance-free, wire-and-battery-free devices.
- Contact-Based SmartInductive: Provides the highest power—up to 600 watts—but requires tight alignment between transmitter and receiver. Ideal for power-intensive applications such as telecom equipment, robotics, micromobility, medical devices, and underwater charging.
- RF Over-the-Air (Long-Range): Offers lower power (ranging from a few microwatts to hundreds of milliwatts) but transmits over distances up to 200 feet. Suitable for low-power devices including IoT and home automation sensors, game controllers, wearables, keyboards and mice, headphones, TV remotes, and bathroom devices like electric toothbrushes and shavers.
- Magnetic Resonance (Mid-Range): Covers the middle range, providing up to 100 watts to charge many products at a time that are within range of the desktop-sized (4 x 2 feet) wireless charging loop. This is suited for higher wattage charging for home, office, and industrial applications where multiple devices need power at the same time.
Image: Magnetic Resonance technology can create a wire-free zone, where a wireless transmitting “loop” embedded into a surface, such as a desk, can power enabled devices within the loop’s zone by converting magnetic energy into electricity.
With this expansion, Powercast continues to pave the way for a fully wireless future, helping manufacturers create sustainable, maintenance-free, wire-and-disposable-battery-free devices.
Image: An Eval Kit designed for R&D teams to explore Magnetic Resonance is now available. It includes a transmitter with a flexible wire loop that can be embedded into a surface to create a Wire-Free Power Zone, and receivers in different sizes/specs to integrate into devices to enable them to receive power wirelessly. The technology has received FCC & CE certification.
Click here to learn more about Powercast.
