NFC Wireless Charging,
Explained
A New Standard for Wireless Power + Data
Operating at 13.56MHz, Near-Field Communication (NFC) began as a data protocol. Today, the NFC Forum’s Wireless Charging Standard (WLC) allows product developers to have high theoretical data speeds, maintain loose coupling and deliver small amounts of power.
NFC WLC is a technology that’s appropriate for small, wearable devices. This technology has already been successfully implemented in products like smart glasses, fitness trackers & styluses.
This technology is a great option for products with certain challenges, including:
METHOD:
INDUCTIVE RESONANT
POWER:
<3W
FREQUENCY:
13.56MHz
NFC Wireless Charging Advancements
NFC Forum
The NFC Forum WLC standard currently specifies wireless power transmitted at 1W and data throughput at 106 Kbps.
NuCurrent + NXP
NuCurrent has advanced this new technology by:
Increasing the NFC WLC Specification to 3W received
Increasing data throughput to 848 Kbps under high power
Utilizing our patented MLMT-magnetics to achieve smaller footprints, higher efficiencies and lower thermals
Enabling over-air-communication without protocols
10 Things You Need to Know about NFC Wireless Charging
NuCurrent’s wireless power experts cover common NFC Charging questions, including:
How does it differ from Qi charging?
What products currently use it?
What challenges does it solve?
What does an NFC Charger system look like?
How do power and data work together in this type of system?
Combining Power + Data
Designing an NFC WLC system is all about transferring power efficiently while maintaining communications fidelity. In other words, creating a balance between low power loss and high data integrity.
NFC WLC systems rely on techniques from both NFC data and wireless power to ensure the most efficient power transfer while maintaining the necessary bandwidth to support high speeds of data transfer.
Overview: Qi vs. NFC
Qi and NFC WLC both have strengths and limitations.
The chart to the right explores design considerations for product developers.
When exploring your options, consider criteria such as form factor, user experience, power received and data capabilities.
System Design Similarities
An NFC WLC system is similar to a traditional wireless power system, with the addition of NFC control. NFC blocks provide the primary function of transferring data, while the remaining foundational blocks function similarly to a Qi-based system. The main difference: As data speeds are increased, power levels must be considered as it will affect the integrity of the data.
The chart to the right provides an overview on the structure of an NFC WLC system.
“With the help of [NuCurrent’s] industry-leading NFC Charging technologies, we’ve eliminated the connectors and vastly upgraded our charging experience.”
“With the help of [NuCurrent’s] industry-leading NFC Charging technologies, we’ve eliminated the connectors and vastly upgraded our charging experience.”
Where to begin? Start here.
Gain a basic understanding of the global specification by going directly to the consortium that created it.
NXP Semiconductors, an NFC Forum co-founder, supplies a majority of the market with NFC-enabled hardware. Browse their hardware options.
As an NXP Gold Partner, NuCurrent is advancing the standard, enabling higher power levels and data rates than ever before.
Get started with understanding the global specification by going directly to the consortium that created it.
NXP, an NFC Forum co-founder, supplies a market majority with NFC-enabled hardware. Browse their hardware options.
As an NXP Gold Partner, NuCurrent is advancing the standard making higher power levels and data rates possible.
