With wireless charging being enabled on an increasing variety of smartphones and wearables, there are a growing number of opportunities for innovations that are able to offer extra value for users. These include furniture with built-in charging pads, cars that position the charging pad to keep mobiles safely out of reach while driving, and easy charging in hospitality locations such as cafes and restaurants.
Chargers, however, need to be properly designed to protect consumers’ products, particularly in high-power, fast-charging modes. The Qi logo is awarded after testing and certifying in accordance with the WPC-Qi specifications.
“ST is helping wireless charging thrive by providing a secure way to authenticate genuine Qi-certified chargers before increasing the charge at any power level over 5 Watts,” said Laurent Degauque, Marketing Director, Secure Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. “Our solutions compliant with WPC-Qi specification V1.3 are based on ST secure elements certified Common Criteria EAL5+ and AEC-Q100 for automotive.”
STSAFE secure elements are loaded with official Qi Certificates and provide authentication that leverages state-of-the-art cryptography. The solutions clearly identify the charger and strictly attest to its authenticity as a Qi-certified product.
As an official Manufacturer Certification Authority Service Provider, ST has the authority to compute and to sign the official Qi Charger certificate that contains both the charger Qi-ID and maker reference. The STSAFE-A110, and STSAFE-V110 for automotive applications, are loaded at a secure ST factory, creating a ready-to-use solution that relieves the charger makers from the burden of loading the sensitive data securely.
