Charging Mat for Electronics Electronics charging mat & Powermat charger

PowerMat is a new device on the market that allows you to wirelessly charge a range of gadgets, such as cellphones and handheld video games. You just drop them on the PowerMat – its magnets pull each device into the optimal position for charging, and then charge it via magnetic fields. Lights and sounds indicate the status of the device and tell you when it is fully charged (at which point the PowerMat is clever enough to switch off).

What devices can you charge with PowerMat and how do you do it? These devices fall into three main categories: cellphones (mobile phones), handheld games consoles, and miscellaneous devices. For some devices there are special receivers that are attached to the device for convenient wireless charging. Other devices have to be charged with a more conventional wired connector – for this purpose the PowerMat comes with a dedicated PowerCube Universal Receiver and multiple connectors (known as ‘tips’).

Cellphones:

• Apple iPhone 3G: There is dedicated support for the iPhone 3G; it requires the fitting of a special PowerMat compatible receiver case (purchased separately). The iPhone can also be charged with a special PowerCube Apple tip (included) or receiver dock (purchased separately).
• Apple iPhone 3GS: A dedicated receiver is close to launch for the iPhone 3GS. In the meantime use the special PowerCube Apple tip (included) or receiver dock (purchased separately).
• Apple iPhone (other models): Use the special PowerCube Apple tip (included) or receiver dock (purchased separately).
• RIM BlackBerry Bold, Curve 8300, Curve 8900 and Pearl: There is dedicated support for these Blackberry models; it requires the fitting of a special PowerMat compatible battery door (purchased separately).
• RIM BlackBerry Tour: A dedicated receiver is close to launch for the BlackBerry Tour, in the meantime use micro-USB tip (included).
• RIM BlackBerry (other models including Storm): Use mini-USB or micro-USB tips as required (included).
• LG: Use LG 1 or micro-USB tips (included).
• Samsung: Use Samsung 2 tip (included).
• Motorola: Use micro-USB or mini-USB tips (included).
• Palm: Use micro-USB tip (included).
• Bluetooth Headset: Use micro-USB tip (included).
• HTC: Use mini-USB tip (included).
• Nokia: Use special Nokia 2mm tip (purchased separately).
• Sony Ericsson: Use special Sony Ericsson tip (purchased separately).

Games:

• Nintendo DS Lite: There is dedicated support for the Nintendo DS Lite; it requires fitting a special PowerMat compatible receiver back (purchased separately). The DS Lite can also be charged with a special PowerCube DS Lite tip (included).
• Nintendo DSi: There is dedicated support for the Nintendo DSi; it requires fitting a special PowerMat compatible receiver back (purchased separately). The DSi can also be charged with a special PowerCube DSi tip (included).
• Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP): Use Sony PSP tip (included).

Note that the receiver backs do not need to be removed for game play. Receivers for other game consoles are under development.

Other Devices:

• iPod Touch: There is dedicated support for the iPod Touch; it requires fitting a special PowerMat compatible receiver case (purchased separately). The iPod Touch can also be charged with a special PowerCube Apple tip (included) or receiver dock (purchased separately).
• iPod (other models): Use Apple tip (included) or receiver dock (purchased separately).
• GPS devices: Use mini-USB tip (included).
• Some Kodak cameras: Use Sony PSP tip (included).

It can be seen that there is very good coverage of most handheld devices by the PowerMat. However, many of these have to be charged using the PowerCube so if true wireless capability for particular devices is important then it is worthwhile checking to ensure that receivers are available for them.

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PowerMat Wireless Recharge Pad

Sitting atop the counter or bedside table of most homes you will find a tangled mess of various recharging wires. Phones, iPods, portable gaming systems, DVD players, and digital cameras all have there very own cords and plugs for recharging. The problem is that most of us deal with this necessary clutter rather than going through the daily ritual of cleaning this mess up. The plug and wires for recharging our devices are simply a standard that we all have to live with until NOW! Today you can start recharging your handheld devices with a new wireless pad from PowerMat.

The evolution of wireless technologies has now brought to the home WIRELESS RECHARGING. PowerMat uses the technology of magnetic induction to power up our dying necessities. The iPhone, BlackBerry, Nintendo DS, iPod, and a variety of handheld devices can be recharged simply by placing the device atop the pad.  Instead of a tangle of chords, you will now have a sleek notepad thin device for your electronic gadgets to sit on and recharge.

The basics of the technology rely on Faraday’s law of magnetic induction. Electromagnets are used to induce current to the battery inside the handheld device. The pad does require that you also place a special battery in your device. The receiver battery cost about the same as a regular battery ($20 to $40). The pad and the receiver battery put physics to work to recharge your device. Charging time is comparable to standard recharge times.

What is amazing is that this new technology is affordable. For under $100 you can head over to Best Buy or Target and purchase this wonderful innovation. Unlike Blue Ray, iPhones, and other techno trends that most people wait for the price to come down, the people at PowerMat priced this new item right. For once you can be bragging about the wonders of this new device rather than waiting to hear about it from someone else. Wireless recharging will not be leaving us anytime soon.

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PowerMat is an exciting new technology that automatically charges your cellphone, Nintendo DS and other gadgets for you wirelessly. So how do you use PowerMat:

1. You drop your gadget on PowerMat as you come in the door, or as you go to bed
2. Magnets in the PowerMat pull your gadget from wherever you dropped it into 3 dedicated charging slots
3. PowerMat checks the battery state of your device, and then starts charging it
4. PowerMat uses wireless charging / cordless charging by sending the power through the air using magnetic induction (similar to how some cordless electric toothbrushes are charged)
5. Optional lights and sounds tell you the battery and charging state
6. When the gadget is fully charged, PowerMat shuts off to save power

Sounds great – but is PowerMat for you?

Yes if:

• You regularly use compatible gadgets, such as iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry cellphone or Nintendo DS
• You are fed up with having loads of chargers and wires around the place
• You like to have your gadgets ready to use whenever you need them (no more run down cellphone or dead Nintendo)
• You do not mind modifying your gadgets to use PowerMat
• You have the money to spend on neat gadgets that just make life a little easier or more fun

Maybe not if:

• You cannot see what all the fuss is about – charging is not hard
• You do not want to modify your gadgets to use PowerMat
• You only have one or two gadgets anyway, so would never need to charge more than one at a time
• You have an iPod or iPhone and just spent money on a new cover for it – so you do not want to buy another cover to use with PowerMat
• You think PowerMat is not worth the money

In all cases your gadgets need to be modified to work with PowerMat:

• An iPod or iPhone needs a special PowerMat compatible cover
• A BlackBerry cellphone needs a PowerMat receiver in place of its battery
• A Nintendo DS needs a special clip-on base

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WiFi and Bluetooth are wonderful technologies for freeing our portable devices from cables, except for the power cable, right? Some vendors are ready with a new technology that will allow the charging of cell phones or other small appliances without wires. Is that “Buck Rogers” or what?

Powercast (Pittsburgh, PA) says it has a solution for wirelessly supplying portable devices. The technique is reliable, FCC-approved (safe), and is ready for shipment later this year, Powercast technology uses an Rf wave to transmit the power for use by the device. According to Keith Kressin, executive vice president of sales and marketing, the technology has an efficiency of better than 50% (the amount of power transmitted versus the amount actually used, so that for every 2 watts of power consumed, the device utilizes more than 1 watt of energy).

The efficiency is inversely proportionate to the distance between the transmitter and receiver. At less than 3 feet, the efficiency is about 70%. The energy that is wasted can be used for warming frozen foods, uh,…no, just kidding.

Powercast uses a signal in the 900 Megahertz band for moving the energy to the unit being charged. Other devices on the same band will not interfere with the operation; in fact, the Powercast receiver will consume any power near this frequency that enters its perimeter. However, this technology cannot fully replace a conventional charger for most appliances. It is able to “trickle charge” over a period of time so that the energy depletion rate is at least slowed dramatically for low power devices.

• The concept behind the Powercast product isn’t new. The problem is that power transmitted in this way reflects off different surfaces, and modifies the signal. The Powercast solution is a receiver that acts like a radio tuned to many frequencies at the same time.

The maximum power transmission is a few watts at distance of 3 feet (maximum output is 15 watts). That should be sufficient to recharge most cell phones to a 50% level in 12 hours. This rate is ideal for cell phones, wireless keyboards/mice, medical implants like pacemakers, and other small appliances. The technology is not currently capable of supporting higher electricity consuming devices such as laptop computers, which currently use significantly more power than the Powercast system can supply.

Phillips will be the first to market with a product utilizing the Powercast system later this year. The first product will be a light stick for low power lighting application. For this application, the device will not have a battery on-board, but will receive power continuously from the Powercast system. “If you had asked me seven months ago if this was possible, I would have said, are you dreaming? Have you been smoking something?” says Govi Rao, vice president of solid-state lighting at Phillips.

A Powercast system currently cost less that $10 to manufacture. In many devices, implementing a Powercast solution is less expensive than implementing a battery, and in addition, is more environmentally “green”.

An alternative to the Powercast technology is inductive charging. If you have a Sonicare electric toothbrush, you already have an inductive charging system. An inductive system is effectively a transformer, but inductive charging is more “connector less” rather than wireless. This system requires a very close proximity between charger and device, because the efficiency drops precipitously at anything other than very short distances. Powermat is one of several companies developing a system in the form a pad that you would put underneath the device to be charged, and that would be capable of supporting higher power devices like laptop computers. The system is currently capable of power outputs of about 90 watts.

The Wireless Power Consortium was launched this year in Hong Kong to develop standards so that charging systems and consuming devices will be able to communicate. This is important so that the transmitter only emits power when a consuming device is present, and at the appropriate output power. This will improve safety and efficiency. Founding members of the consortium include Logitech, National Semiconductor, Philips Electronics, Sanyo, Shenzhen Sang Fei Consumer Communications, and Texas Instruments.

Author: Brian Bradshaw

About the Author: Brian Bradshaw is a Certified Technical Specialist (InfoComm CTS) and a CompTIA A+ Technologist. Areas of expertise include Audio-Video, Information Technology, WiFi, HDTV, SATCOM Systems, and Communications. He has a communications technology business that serves the Southwestern United States with offices in Plano, Texas (Dallas) and an office in Peoria, Arizona (Phoenix), managed by his brother, Keller Bradshaw.

Please visit the Website for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Bradshaw

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