Wireless power source

Engineers from Pittsburgh-based Powercast have joined forces with colleagues at Sydney, Australia-based CAP-XX to develop a wireless power module reference design that combines an RF energy-harvesting technology with a supercapacitor to create a perpetual, battery-free power source for wireless sensors.

Low-power energy harvesting can supply the average power required by many sensor-based systems, but cannot provide the peak power needed to collect and transmit data over wireless networks such as IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee), 802.11 (WLAN) or GSM/GPRS.

This is claimed to be the industry’s first reference design using commercial components that harvests RF energy from low-power radio waves, stores it in a supercapacitor, and then delivers high-power bursts when charged.

The wireless power module reference design integrates a power receiving antenna, a Powercast Powerharvester receiver, and a CAP-XX supercapacitor for energy storage and peak transmission power. Low-power wireless sensors or RF modules can be added with simple 'two-wire' integration.

In operation, the design creates a perpetual power supply for fixed or mobile wireless sensor nodes, such as those located throughout a building, eliminating the need for batteries or wired power.