Powercast & KYOCERA AVX Team on Battery-Free Solutions that Harvest Power from Established RFID Sources to Power ESLs, Sensors & Other IoT Devices

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Dec 29, 2022, 09:10 ET

KYOCERA AVX's supercapacitors and Powercast's over-the-air wireless power technology combine to enable maintenance-free sensor tags and ESLs powered solely by RF harvested from RFID readers

PITTSBURGH and FOUNTAIN INN, S.C., Dec. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Powercast Corporation, the leader in radio-frequency (RF)-based over-the-air wireless power technology, and KYOCERA AVX, a leading global manufacturer of advanced electronic components, are teaming to create sustainable, battery-free solutions capable of harvesting power from industry-standard RFID readers to power ESLs (electronic shelf labels), RFID Sensor Tags and other battery-free IoT devices. Both Powercast (booth #52311) and KYOCERA AVX (booth #11123) will demonstrate the solutions at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, January 5 – 8, 2023.

How the technologies work together:
A tiny Powercast PCC110 Powerharvester® receiver chip embedded in electronic devices harvests RF out of the air when it comes within range of a UHF RFID reader, converts that RF to DC (direct current), and then stores it in a KYOCERA AVX supercapacitor for discharge when needed. This battery-independent power storage eliminates battery replacement maintenance and keeps disposable batteries out of landfills.

At CES 2023, the companies will demonstrate two Powercast products that highlight the joint technologies:

Powercast's newly-redesigned PCT100 RFID Sensor Tags which measure temperature, humidity and light for environmental monitoring in the retail, medical, warehousing and industrial IoT markets: https://www.powercastco.com/products/rfid-sensor-tags/
Powercast's new battery-free ESL which wirelessly updates an ePaper screen to display instructions on bins in warehouses to facilitate picking or assembly.

"The ability to power green, sustainable devices solely from the RF harvested from the RFID readers deployed today throughout many industries can solve the main problem IoT deployments face - battery replacement," said Charles Greene, PhD, COO and CTO of Powercast. "We are teaming with KYOCERA AVX whose thin, advanced supercapacitors can store the energy generated by Powercast Technology and discharge as needed to either directly power a battery-free device, or recharge a rechargeable battery."

"This collaborative effort can be used to develop environmentally-friendly smart home IoT ecosystems that eliminate disposable batteries, while extending backup time and providing instantaneous power pulses as needed," said Mamoon Abedraboh, Global Product Marketing Manager for Supercapacitor & Power Capacitors, KYOCERA AVX. "Our vision is to make IoT more sustainable now and into the future."

Visit Powercast's CES 2023 page, https://www.powercastco.com/ces-2023/, to schedule a time to meet the Powercast team and keep up to date on the company's news.

About Powercast
Powercast is the established leader in RF wireless power-over-distance solutions. Since its founding in 2003, Powercast has led the industry in RF wireless power innovations that meet FCC and other global standards. Powercast's technologies eliminate or reduce the need for wires and batteries, working at distances of 120 feet. The company's collaborative approach and expertise in all aspects of product design, from vision through prototyping and commercialization, has resulted in dozens of applications, extensive commercial success in both industrial and consumer applications, and over 10 million units shipped. With more than 100 customers and partner companies globally, Powercast leads the RF wireless power market with 79 early and fundamental patents worldwide and 23 patents pending. www.powercastco.com

About KYOCERA AVX:
KYOCERA AVX is a leading global manufacturer of advanced electronic components engineered to accelerate technological innovation and build a better future. As a wholly owned subsidiary of KYOCERA Corporation structured to capitalize on shared resources and technical expertise, KYOCERA AVX has an expansive global footprint comprised of several dozen research, development, and manufacturing facilities spanning more than 15 countries and staffed with talented personnel dedicated to innovation, component quality, customer service, and enabling a brighter future through technology. KYOCERA AVX designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies advanced capacitors, antennas, interconnects, circuit protection and timing devices, sensors, controls, filters, fuses, diodes, resistors, couplers, and inductors optimized for employment in the international 5G, IoT, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, industrial, medical, and military markets.

SOURCE Powercast