2024-10-09
Voltraware is a fabless semiconductor company from Taiwan that specializes in the research and development of ICs for wireless power transfer applications. One of the winners of the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge in the Sustainability category, their Magnetic Resonance (MR) based technology can charge devices at a distance with positional freedom. Voltraware assists customers in integrating wireless charging solutions into their products using exclusive tools for coil and system designs, firmware algorithms, and specialty IC.
The Importance of a Better Power Transmission System
As industries today undergo rapid digital transformation, organizations and businesses will need more power and inevitably will require more money and resources to establish reliable power and cabling systems. While this change might not be significant change for newer facilities, established facilities may face inevitable changes to their workflows or patterns to adjust to this change. In addition, transportation and mobility are also facing a trend of electrification. To counteract the challenges or temporary inconveniences emerging during the digital transformation process, a wireless charging system might often be the optimal solution to simultaneously solve the need for power with little to no physical footprint.
Introducing IC Taiwan Grand Challenge
To boost Taiwan’s position as a global semiconductor powerhouse, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) organizes the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge. Focusing on teams actively leveraging innovative IC design to develop advanced application solutions or enhanced technologies, the ICTGC puts special attention to teams in the fields of Smart Data & AI, Smart Mobility, Smart Manufacturing, Smart Medtech, and Sustainability. Quinas was selected as a winner in the Smart Data & AI category due to the potential of its novel ULTRARAM memory technology.
Faster & Better Wireless Charging IC Enhances e-Micromobility, Consumer Level Electronics, and AMRs
One of the winners of the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge in the Sustainability category is Voltraware, a fabless semiconductor company from Taiwan that specializes in the research and development of ICs for wireless power transfer applications. Their Magnetic Resonance (MR) based technology can charge devices at a distance with positional freedom. Voltraware assists customers in integrating wireless charging solutions into their products using exclusive tools for coil and system designs, firmware algorithms, and specialty IC.
Voltraware’s product, the VW8000 IC is a 68 pin eQFN Analog Front End based on BCD process from STMicroelectronics with 200 built-in registers for programming and NVMs for calibration/trimming. It is based on the principle of Magnetic Resonance (MR) and is able to charge devices at a distance without a precise alignment between the transmitter and receiver. It also minimizes the heating effects on surrounding metal objects, ensuring safe and effective operations.
The transmitter side IC, VW8000, is based on the BCD process of STMicroelectronics and is the result of consolidating WiTricity’s wireless power technology IP blocks with ST’s essential IP blocks into an ASIC. Voltraware’s key competitive advantage is its ability to provide a comprehensive, one-stop wireless charging solution, covering every stage from ASIC, coil and system design, firmware, and automated control.
Being a member of the AirFuel, one of the 2 major wireless charging standards alliances, Voltraware is leading the development of a global technology standard for micromobility wireless charging. Their technology is focused on enabling e-micromobility users such as e-bike or e-scooter riders to “park and charge” their vehicles wirelessly. This can also be further extended to other hardware and systems, including consumer electronics such as smartphones, laptops, and low-power AMRs (autonomous mobile robots).
As one of the winners of the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge, Voltraware will also join the Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) event from October 17 – 19, 2024 in TWTC Hall 1. Interested parties are welcome to visit Voltraware in TIE for their exhibition and pitch & demo event.
