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What Does Wireless Charging Mean and How

Does it Work?
Wireless charging has been existing since the late 1800’s. Around this time, Nikola
Tesla, an electricity pioneer explained what magnetic resonant coupling was all about.
Magnetic resonant coupling refers to the capability to transfer electricity through air
by building a magnetic field between a transmitter and a receiver.

However, for about 10 decades, this technology didn’t really have practical
applications. It only worked for a few electric toothbrush models. Things are now
better these days. Also, there are now various wireless charging technologies being
used today. The major aim here is to cut cables from every appliance like
smartphones, laptops, and even vehicles.

Wireless charging is becoming popular across several industries like

manufacturing, automotive, and medical. This is because it promises to provide
enhanced mobility and development that could enable Internet of Things (IoT)
devices to receive power several feet away.

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A wireless charging device is a piece of tech gear you can have. Furthermore it is very
convenient and easy to use. Regardless of where you keep a wireless charger, you can
charge your devices effortlessly. Whether it is on your desk or attached to your car’s
vent, this charger can make charging very convenient. People even take it for granted
since it is very easy.

You may not fully understand what wireless charging does and how it functions. Also,
you might use a wireless charger everyday but you are yet to understand its full
capability. It is crucial to understand how wireless charging works and other
capabilities they offer.

In this article, we will be explaining how wireless charging functions. Also, we will
provide some reliable wireless charging phone accessories you can use.

What is Wireless Charging?

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APPLE Wireless Charging

Wireless charging is available in a wide selection of phone accessories. A wireless

charger is a free station or pad with no messy cables. Also, using this charger entails
placing a matching wireless charging device on it. Smartphones like Androids and
iPhones can use wireless chargers. These devices can work with wireless charging if
there are internal components and tech to help them accomplish such.

As an effective way of charging devices, wireless charging has become popular in

recent years. Many people are beginning to know more about wireless charging and
how they can use them daily.

The Basics of Wireless Charging

When you hear of wireless charging, it seems like one of those modern developments
of 21st century. This is not the case as the basic principle behind wireless charging
has been existing before the 21st century.

The science of wireless charging is similar to the resonant inductive coupling process
of Nikola Tesla. This scientist used this process to light up his laboratory in the late
19th century. Also, Nikola’s inductive charging created a magnetic field between a
receiver and a transmitter. Electricity transmission occurred via the airwaves.

Fortunately, Tesla was able to create the Tesla coil tower that transmitted electricity
across a space. He hoped this invention could help to build a wireless power grid one
day. This could help him integrated his inductive charging. Although, he couldn’t
achieve this before he died, but we are very close to achieving this in our modern
world. What he planned to achieve is close to how we use wireless chargers for our
phones today.

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In our world today, a wireless charging device features an electromagnetic coil. This
electromagnetic coil is an induction coil in a charging base that builds a magnetic
field which transmits energy to your device.

The question here is how does your phone receive electromagnetic energy? Well,
there is an electromagnetic coil in your phone. This coil gets the energy discharged by
the induction coil and then transmits that energy back to the battery of your phone.
This is exactly how wireless charging works when you place a device on the wireless
charger.

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Wireless Charging Standards

There are two standards of wireless charging. These standards are the PMA standard
and Qi standard. It is important to know how these standard works and the differences
between them. Although the two wireless charging standards integrate the same
inductive charging, they use different amount if wavelength.

Qi wireless charging

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) created the Qi wireless charging standard.
This charging standard is more common than PMA wireless charging. Also, the Qi
wireless charging method is widely integrated inside wireless charging devices. It is
highly preferred among electronic device and phone manufacturers. This charging
standard features a 100-205 KHz band.

PMA wireless charging

PMA simply refers to Power Matters Alliance. It is a wireless charging standard that
utilizes wavelengths between the range of 277 to 357 KHz band.

What is Qi Charging?

In this section, we will discuss how Qi charging works. Qi charging is simply an

optimized inductive charging. This charging method enables wireless charging. Also,
it can only charge the batteries of compatible devices by integrating induction transfer.
Furthermore, there are no separate cables, adapters, or chargers. Your device must be
compatible with the wireless pad. All you just need to do is to place your compatible
device on the wireless pad.

Qi is known as the standard for wireless charging. Qi is a Chinese word which means
“air energy flow.” This word is usually pronounced as “chee.” The Wireless Power

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Consortium (WPC) developed Qi in 2008. Also, this standard was primarily

developed to transmit inductive electrical power over about 1.6 inches.

In 2009, the WPC published the Qi low-power specification. The WPC worked on
expanding the specification of the medium power.

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System Overview

Furthermore, a Qi system includes:

 Power conversion
 Base station
 Communication
 Mobile devices

Power conversion

The base station has a transmitter which features a power conversion unit. The power
conversion unit helps in converting electrical power to wireless power. The receiver
in phones has a power pick-up unit that helps to convert back wireless power signal to
electrical power.

Base station

This comprises a power transmitter that has a transmitting coil. The transmitting coil
produces an oscillating magnetic field. Also, the base stations comprise flat surfaces
where you can place multiple devices.

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Communication

The control and communication units are in power receivers and there is a technique
known as modulation. Also, the receiver in the device switches the
modulation capacitor or modulation resistor to modulate the load. Furthermore, the
transmitter present in the base station senses primary coil voltage or primary coil
current to demodulate reflected load.

Mobile devices

Mobile devices consume inductive power. Also, these devices can be tablets or
smartphones. They have a receiver coil that features a power receiver. However, the
receiver in the devices provides the battery power. Control and communication units
are available in power receivers.

How does it work?

An electromagnetic field transmits energy between two objects. This is similar to the
magnetic induction technology in physics. This same method is what inductive
charging integrates. As it was earlier discussed, two coils are available. There is one
coil in the receiver and the other coil in the transmitter. In the transmitter coil, you can
generate a magnetic field with an alternating current. Also, this magnetic field helps
to induce voltage.

In reality, the receiver in the phone gets power from the electromagnetic field and
then transforms it into electrical current. This will help to charge the battery. There
are some mobile device manufacturers that are integrating this standard. These
manufacturers include Nokia, Sony, LG Electronics, Asus, and Motorola Mobility
among others. All devices having the Qi logo are compatible with wireless chargers.

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How to Align the Coils

There are two ways to align the receiving and transmitting coil to ensure power
transfer.

Free positioning

This method requires mobile devices shouldn’t be placed on a particular position on

the surface of the base station. Also, you don’t need to align the coil directly.
However, this method allows the integration of several transmitting coils at the
location of the receiving coils. Therefore, it can produce a magnetic field and charge
batteries inductively.

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Guided positioning

You have to place the mobile device on a particular position on the base station’s
surface. Also, this is because the receiver coil is in the mobile device while the
transmitter coil is in the base station.

Modes of Wireless Charging

There are two modes of charging Qi receivers. These are resonant mode and inductive
mode. Also, the transmitter determines the operation mode.

Inductive mode

This mode considers tightly-coupled systems for inductive charging. To achieve the
best outcome, the transmitter should function at a frequency that differs slightly from
the resonant frequency. Also, this mode limits the distance between receiver and
transmitter to a few millimeters. Furthermore, you can achieve high power efficiency
with these tightly-coupled systems.

The coils are tightly coupled when the coils have similar size and their distance is less
than their diameters.

Resonant mode

Charging occurs in resonant mode when the system features loosely-coupled coils.
Also, there is a decrease in the magnetic coupling between coils when the distance
between the receiver and the transmitter coils is more than their coil diameters.

Which is better: resonant mode or inductive mode?

Tightly-coupled system is ideal for heat-sensitive applications since it has low heat
production and high power transfer. Therefore, heat-sensitive devices like
smartphones will benefit from this system. However, the downside of tightly coupled
coils is that they are very sensitive to misalignment.

On the loosely-coupled system transfers power efficiently. Such type of system is

ideal for applications that feature electromotive force or tight electromagnetic
induction. Above all, your needs determine the type of mode to choose.

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Qi Charging power

Qi wireless charging can deliver about 5 watts at the receiver output. On the other
hand, with medium power, Qi charging can deliver about 120 watts. Furthermore, the

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relationship between the receiver and transmitter should occur during charging. Also,
without interoperable communication, the charging process won’t commence.

When compared to traditional charging, you will realize wireless charging is slower.
However, wireless charging is harmless to humans since it doesn’t emit non-ionizing
radiation. Also, this makes it environmentally friendly.

Drawbacks of Wireless Charging

Above all, wireless charging provides a convenient way to charge your phone and
other devices. Also, this charging method gives you a free cable environment. You
don’t need to worry about cables or wires in your space.

Also, wireless charging offers several benefits. Due to these benefits, there are several
phone accessories compatible with wireless charging around us. Also, wireless
charging is becoming more popular across industries and in our world in general.

Despite the benefits of wireless charging, there is only one major drawback. The
major drawback of wireless chargers is that they don’t perform efficiently like wired
chargers. Also, these chargers tend to be slower than fast-charging cable. Although
there are ways to prevent inefficiency in wireless charging if you take certain
measures.

Distance is a crucial factor too in terms of efficiency and speed. When the receiver of
your device is far away from the transmitter of the wireless charger, the charging rate
will be very slow. In this scenario, the magnetic field will have to struggle to transfer
power to the device. Also, the device has to be directly on the wireless charger for fast
power transmission. If it stays at a few millimeters, the charging process may slow
down.

This major drawback can easily be prevented. Since you now understand the basic
principle behind wireless charging, then you should build a larger transmitter. Also,
this may not be as simple as that. If you would be creating a bigger transmitter, this
means your phone’s wireless charging receiver must be very large. With a large
wireless charging receiver and a bigger transmitter, the charging rate will be faster.

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Is Wireless Charging Fast Enough?

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Wireless Charging pcba

If the wireless charging isn’t as fast as when you plug a device directly in the cable,
then how fast is wireless charging? Also, what are the things you should expect from
the wireless charging device, and is there a way you can make the charging process
faster?

First, there is a need to consider that the device’s maximum charging speed is about
10 watts. The average is 10 watts, although you can find some chargers of 15 watts
and stronger. Fast chargers are usually something else. Normally, fast chargers can
offer10 to 65 watts making use of the Qi standard and Quick Charge Technology.

However, for wireless charging, it finds it difficult keeping up with this speed level.
Rather, working with a wireless charger will give some challenges. For example, the
materials and physical design, which prevents efficient and proper charging.

Otherwise, its inner transmitting coil will work effectively without any issue.
Consider it like this. There was a time when a wireless charger will not work using a
phone case. However, these days, this is not a problem. Therefore, as wireless
charging continues to gain wide recognition, the efficiency and speed of the wireless
charger will keep getting better, regardless of the aligned coils

As of today, you can get different fast chargers that help you charge your device
quickly and in no time. Though it isn’t as fast as the direct cable, there are companies
that offer wireless and fast chargers, which can reach 15 watts.

What You Should Expect With Phone Cases and

Wireless Chargers

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Will wireless chargers work with a phone case? Of course, an accessory for wireless
charging can also work with phone cases. Moreover, there are caveats and
considerations that you must take note of before you buy a phone case.

Bulky cases have become better

For the beginners, the bulky cases may work against you with respect to wireless
charging. This doesn’t happen for all thick cases. At times, it becomes difficult for the
thicker case materials to come in contact with the inductor of the wireless charger.
Moreover, many brands have considered this and have designed thicker phone cases
in a special way that ensures they are compatible with the wireless chargers.

Go for Plastics Rather than Aluminum Cases

Metal and Aluminum-backed phone cases could hinder your device from getting the
required boost. Although they are robust and durable, the aluminum cases could
disrupt the charging. Take note that one of the Iphone models discontinued its
aluminum casing or shell to go for a glass backing. This allowed it to conduct a
specific charge on the recent wiring charging accessories and devices.

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Why MagSafe Phone Cases are Important?

For those who love the wireless charging abilities of a phone, the MagSafe phone
cases provide an advantage. What exactly does the MagSafe phone case do? The
compatible devices of MagSafe, whether a battery pack or phone case all have
different magnets, which helps to snap to the internal coil of a phone for wireless
charging.

Due to the fact that MagSafe magnets are usually designed to help snap in place, this
makes sure that the phone doesn’t slide off or stray from your wireless charging disc,
platform, or whatever stand for wireless charging is provided. In addition, whenever a
MagSafe phone case is paired with the wireless charger that is Qi-enabled, you will be
able to achieve faster charge.

Unfortunately, just a few phones presently available offer the MagSafe internal coil.
These include the Iphone 13 and Iphone 12 series. Let us hope that with time,
MagSafe becomes the norm for Android and Apple phones. However, for now, these
devices offer unique snapping. Until these, if any of these devices are in your
possession, then check out the MagSafe phone cases.

Collection of Wireless Chargers

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If you wish to have a wireless connection that is good, then there is a need to consider
two accessories. These include a phone case that has been outlined already and a
wireless charging accessory. There are companies that offer high-quality phone cases
that are designed for connecting the wireless charging device easily to the wireless
charger.

Moreover, it ensures a compatible and well-made wireless charger that helps in

keeping the internal transmitter coil of your phone on target. You don’t need to worry
about your device going off by some millimeters or to fidget with it so as to position it
the right way. This is just exactly what a very good wireless charger offers. Below is a
wireless charger collection. Let’s consider each of them in detail.

Power Discs

The power disks provide a round and flat pad which rests on a countertop, deskspace,
and tabletop. You can place it wherever you please. With other designs, you will be
able to add a colorful and beautiful touch and look to your space. Also, you will find
the Twinkle design in this Power Disc collection showcasing your phone, as well as a
fabric design that is grey in color for a minimal look.

Furthermore, operating the power discs is easy. All you need to do is to drop the
device on the pad and then allow it to charge. Regarding charging speed, expect
Samsungs and Apple devices to have a value of 10W and 7.5W respectively. This
convenient light indicator let’s you know that your device has been properly placed
on the pad and it its charging.

FUEL Battery Pack

This FUEL Battery Pack provides a snap and go kind of wireless charging. There’s no
need for a tabletop or desk! In addition, with an in-built and strong magnets which
helps it work properly with the MagSafe phone cases, this FUEL battery pack can
offer fast charging of about 10W and is also Qi-compatible. Moreover, it can offer
direct charges and is useful as a power bank featuring a USB-C port as well as
lightning cables included.

The FUEL Power Station

The FUEL Power Station is very useful when you want to charge two or more devices.
With the presence of three wireless charging pads, then you will be able to boost your
Apple Watch, AirPods, iPhone, at once. In addition, it provides a USB-C port for
other devices that you might have or the Android device of a family or friend.

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Furthermore, an Apple Watch stand has a magnetic layer that helps in positioning the
watch and ensuring that it charges effectively. In addition, every area of wireless
charging is Qi-compatible and provides quick charging that can reach 15W.

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Wired Charging vs Wireless Charging: Which Is Better?

Wireless Charging pcb BOARD

For some years now, people have been using wireless charging and every day, it
keeps gaining more popularity. However, have you ever wondered why wireless
charging has become so popular? Is it going to take the place of the traditional wired
charging method? Let’s consider why wireless charging will most likely substitute
wired charging.

Reasons why Wireless Charging may Substitute Wired

Charging

Explaining in a simple way, wireless charging indicates that your handset device can
be dropped on your charging dock. It then charges without having to plug it in your
phone. The process we just explained is much easier compared to wired charging.
Let’s consider the benefits that wireless charging have over wired charging.

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You won’t have to handle cables compared to the wired

charging

Just imagine this situation. You don’t have to plug and unplug any cable whenever
there is a need to charge your device. All you need to do is to drop your device on
your charging pad, and then it begins to charge without you doing anything else.
Furthermore, everything will look neat and elegant. Sure, you don’t have to be
worried about the location of your charger or cable. However, not all wires will be
gone. The charging base will need a wire to connect to the power supply.

Reduces wear and tear on devices

As we have mentioned before, you don’t need cables for wireless charging. USB ports
are not needed either. This means no strain will be placed on the charging port of the
phone, charging plug, and cable. In addition, completely dustproof
and waterproof cables are possible.

It makes the simultaneous charging of multiple

smartphones possible rather than taking different kinds

of cables along with you

For people owning different phones, they need to carry different chargers and cables
when traveling. However, if these devices can feature wireless charging, then the
charging pad will become an option that fits all. In general, the wireless chargers and
cell phones from different manufacturers usually comply with the standard of Qi
wireless charging. Therefore, just one wireless charger will be able to charge all the
Qi-enabled devices.

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Transferring Power to your device is safer. This avoids

you putting your data and safety at risk

In contrast to plugging a device in, the wireless charging method helps in transmitting
power without touching the electrical connectors that are exposed. What this means is
that it reduces the possibility of electric shocks and connection failure.

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Lots of deaths and injuries are caused by not using Cellphones or cables properly
while charging. This sounds scary, but it actually happens. However, wireless
charging could be much safer because one you pick it up, it stops charging.

Also, there is a lesser risk linked with plugging inside public USB chargers. One issue
with this is that these public hubs for charging could collect some personal data when
you aren’t aware. This is one good reason why you should use wireless charging.

Wireless Charging is very neat

Just a few wires can cause your table to become very messy. This also includes the
risks of someone tripping over the cables. However, with wireless charging, you have
everything arranged in order.

Why is Wireless Charging Not Yet Everywhere

Wireless charging is usually less efficient and slower

compared to wired charging

It was discovered that Samsung Galaxy S6 has the ability to charge full within 1.48
hours if plugged and charged over a specific wired connection. However, wireless
charging can take 3.01 hours, which is twice the time it takes for wired charging to
complete the task.

Also, it was discovered that wireless charging can take additional time to top your
phone up and it takes additional power to be able to charge your device completely
too.

Wireless charging can cause overheating for your phone,

which can bring harm to your battery

Lots of discussions exist regarding the heat of a wireless charger bringing harm to
your battery among those who have begun wireless charging of their phones. It has
been revealed that wireless charging generates some waste heat. It could even cause
overheating for your phone battery in contrast to the traditional cable charging.

A part of this wasted power then transforms into heat and the additional heat will
result in more tear and wear on your battery. This causes the battery’s aging to speed
up each time you expose the phone battery to very high temperatures.

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The wireless charger is a bit expensive compared to the

common cables

Visit Amazon, and check the prices for wireless chargers and cables. You will
discover that the majority of cables are below $10. Wireless chargers on the other
hand cost an additional $20 or less. This difference is quite large.

By now, you know how wireless charging works. You also know its benefits and
drawbacks. Each passing day we see more people adopting this new charging
method, and only time will tell if the corded method of charging will be completely
abolished for this new method. Also, if working with the wireless charging method,
make sure that your device is well fitted with the MagSafe magnetic component and
also search for some compatible accessories as well.

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RayMing Offers Support for Wireless Charging

Rayming is a top company that offers top support for wireless charging PCB control
board manufacturing. This top PCB manufacturer will handle the entire wireless
charging PCB processing. The Company’s wireless PCBs are useful in different
applications. These include computing devices, wireless earphones, automotive,
wireless medical devices, and more.

Conclusion

Wireless charging has gradually gained popularity across several industries like
manufacturing, automotive, and medical. Also, wireless charging is harmless to
humans since it doesn’t emit non-ionizing radiation. Individuals and companies are
beginning to know more about wireless charging and how they can use them daily.

With much being discussed, we can boldly say that wireless charging will change a
lot in the electronics industry. It will change how people perceive technology. Also, it
intends to make things easier for people and the world at large.

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