Battery Charger Development Kit STEVAL-ISB045V1
Wireless charging transmitter controller STWBC-WA based
Suitable for implementing chargers for small IoT and wearable devices
On the 24th, STMicroelectronics launched the 'STEVAL-ISB045V1' plug-and-play battery charger development kit, which enables the rapid development of ultra-small chargers up to 2.5W using space-saving 20mm diameter coils. This kit is suitable for implementing chargers for small IoT and wearable devices, such as smartwatches, sports equipment, and healthcare devices.

Built on the wireless charging transmitter controller STWBC-WA, this kit consists of a charging base unit equipped with a ready-to-use transmitter board with a 20mm coil pre-connected. With this kit, you can easily start development work using PC-based STSW-STWBCGUI software, which configures the STWBC-WA and monitors runtime information such as power supply and bridge frequency, demodulation quality, and protocol status. It also features a dongle for running the GUI.

With support from an ecosystem featuring certified reference boards, software, and detailed documentation, developers can quickly supply chargers that are small yet provide sufficient performance to new markets in the rapidly growing fields of smart objects and wearables.

The STWBC-WA controller chip includes an integrated driver and natively supports full-bridge or half-bridge topologies for antenna power supply. Using the half-bridge option enables charging up to 1W with smaller diameter coils, allowing for a much more compact form factor.

This chip supports all standard wireless charging functions, including Foreign Object Detection (FOD) and Active Presence Detection for safe charging, and uses digital feedback to adjust transmission power to achieve optimal efficiency under all load conditions. Two firmware options are also provided, allowing users to choose a fast turnkey solution or define their own applications using APIs to access on-chip peripherals, including ADC, UART, and GPIO.

The STEVAL-ISB045V1 kit is currently available for purchase at $42. The STWBC-WA transmitter controller IC is also in mass production, with prices starting at $2.82 for orders of 1,000 units for the VFQFPN32 package.