Enabling Qi 1.3 wireless charging with authentication

To ensure high quality wireless charging power transmitters, the WPC has released the Qi 1.3 specification with the extended power profile. This new specification produced demand for high security silicon authentication devices for full-service support. In response, Microchip Technology Inc. has announced the new industrial grade TrustFLEX ECC608 and the automotive grade Trust Anchor TA100 together with its secure key provisioning services for Qi 1.3 power transmitters. This new solution is an all-in-one secure storage subsystem that incorporates key provisioning for consumer and automotive systems.

The Qi 1.3 specification now mandates the addition of a secure storage subsystem with secure key provisioning including X.509 certificates to cryptographically verify the source and quality of the certified power transmitter. When a receiver, e.g. in a cell phone is placed on a Qi 1.3 power transmitter, it can initially accept a 5W charge or no charge at all. Then after a successful X.509 based ECC authentication proving the charger is an approved, 'do no harm' device, the phone will then safely accept a 15W charge notably reduce charging time.

Microchip is now a WPC licensed manufacturing CA, not just offering pre-configured secure storage subsystem solutions that lessen complexity and development time, but also reducing the technical barrier of entry by handling the entire key ceremony with the WPC root certificate authority on behalf of the company's customers. By offering a complete certified reference design including application MCU, Qi 1.3 software stack, secure storage subsystems with supporting crypto library together with provisioning services for automotive and consumer applications, it is a one-stop shop for Qi 1.3 solutions.

“Our WPC secure storage subsystem solutions demonstrate Microchip’s continuous commitment to facilitating high volume deployment of state-of-the-art security architectures within embedded systems” said Nuri Dagdeviren, vice president of the security products business unit at Microchip Technology. “We work every day to lower the barrier of entry into this complex but essential technology for our customers in the wireless charging market.”