indie Semiconductor Unveils Advanced Qi2 Wireless Charging SoC for Automotive Applications

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indie Semiconductor, an automotive solutions innovator, has announced iND87204, its next-generation, highly-integrated automotive wireless charging system-on-chip (SoC). Fully compliant with the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) Qi 2.0 technical standard, iND87204 also extends support to the new Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) feature - branded “Qi2” by the WPC - bringing an improved charging experience by magnetically aligning devices with inductive charger coils for more energy efficient, reliable and convenient charging. The SoC integrates multiple Arm ® Cortex ® processors for application and WPC stack processing, and all of the key in-vehicle serial interfaces, power management, DC-DC conversion, signal conditioning, WPC inverter drivers, power FETs and peripheral drivers to enable a fully Qi2-compliant wireless charging solution delivering up to 15 watts of power.

With the growing ubiquity of wireless charging capability within portable devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, drivers and passengers now expect the convenience of wireless device charging in their vehicles on the move. WPC’s latest standard featuring the MPP capability will accelerate the demand for automotive wireless charging due to its much-improved charging reliability enabled by maintaining portable devices in the optimal position irrespective of a vehicle’s motion. Enabled by semiconductor technology, the global in-car automotive wireless charger market is estimated 1 at U.S. $1.9 billion in 2024, and is forecasted to grow to $13.6 billion by 2034-end, representing a 21.9% CAGR over this period.

“Drivers and passengers are demanding seamless, rapid and more reliable portable device charging experiences in-vehicle. Building upon the success of our first-generation wireless charging solution iND87200, the iND87204 delivers on this vision, featuring the industry’s highest component integration for a Qi2 MPP-compliant SoC design, while simultaneously reducing the implementation footprint and external bill-of-materials by up to 50% relative to existing solutions,” said Fred Jarrar, vice president and general manager of indie Semiconductor's Power and ASIC Business Unit. “Our iND87204 solution is supported by high levels of SoC integration and turn-key firmware designs, speeding time to market for our customers while also derisking their developments. The iND87204’s system innovation will help to accelerate OEM deployment of mass-market Qi2-based automotive charging, and create a more engaging in-cabin experience for consumers.”

iND87204 is sampling with lead customers now and will be production released in the fourth quarter of 2024, fully qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 2.