To ensure high quality wireless charging power transmitters, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has released the Qi 1.3 specification with the extended power profile. This new specification created demand for high security silicon authentication devices for full-service support. In response, Microchip Technology has announced the new industrial grade TrustFLEX ECC608 and the automotive grade Trust Anchor TA100 combined with Microchip secure key provisioning services for Qi 1.3 power transmitters. This new offering is an all-in-one secure storage subsystem that includes 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 may 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 significantly reducing charging time.

Microchip is now a WPC licensed manufacturing Certificate Authority (CA), not only offering pre-configured secure storage subsystem solutions that reduce complexity and development time, but also lowering the technical barrier of entry by handling the entire key ceremony with the WPC root certificate authority on behalf of Microchip customers. By providing a complete certified reference design including application MCU, Qi 1.3 software stack, secure storage subsystems with supporting crypto library along with provisioning services for both automotive and consumer applications, Microchip is a one-stop shop for Qi 1.3 solutions.

Development Tools

For hardware:

• The Microchip ECC608 TrustFLEX is supported by the CryptoAuth Trust Platform Development Kit (DM320118)
• The TA100 will require the TA100 8-pin SOIC Socket Board (AC164166) or TA100 24-VQFN Socket Board (EV39Y17A) to plug into the CryptoAuth Trust Platform Development kit

Additionally, Microchip offers the Trust Platform Design Suite software development tool for secure storage subsystems and a certified WPC Qi1.3 reference design.

For more information email Andrew Athanasiou at aathanasiou@arrowaltech.co.za