New solution combines battery, energy-harvesting system
09 February, 2009
category: Contactless, RFID
Planar Energy Devices, a maker of advanced technology batteries for a variety of uses, has introduced a new platform that incorporates a lithium ion battery and a wireless RF harvesting/charging system into one kit. The PowerPlane MX battery and MXE charging system are well-suited for active RFID tags, offering long battery life with a minimum of maintenance.
“Small primary batteries cannot provide the endurance necessary for many applications, and typical energy harvesters acting alone, do not meet the capacities nor the reliability of batteries,” says Andrea Wesser, a product line manager for Planar Energy Devices. “By interfacing an advanced rechargeable battery with a small wireless recharge board, Planar can greatly exceed the capabilities of both technologies.”
The PowerPlane MX battery has a capacity of 10 mAh and an operating voltage range of 3 to 4.2V. The battery’s dimensions are 29mm x 25mm x 0.5mm. The charging system’s circuitry makes the entire kit’s footprint only slightly larger than that of the battery alone.
The PowerPlane MX is also useful for smart card applications. Planar offers a charging pad system for the device which does not require the battery to be plugged in, but simply placed on top of the pad. A wallet full of smart banking cards, when the PowerPlane MXE system is deployed, can be directly recharged without a connection by simply placing it on the pad.
The PowerPlane MXE system is offered in a demo kit, including a charge station pad and one PowerPlane MX mounted on a charging circuit board combining a planar antenna coil and charge/discharge control circuitry.
The system’s control circuitry provides under/over voltage protection, charge control, and a charge indicator light. The battery can be trickled charged continuously or entirely charged in under 3 hours, and the charge station pad can accommodate more than five battery boards simultaneously. The demo kit is priced at $350.
