Summary of DIY IKEA Wireless Qi Charging for the Hexiwear
The article describes a DIY wireless charging solution for the Mikroelektronika Hexiwear, which lacks native wireless charging. The author repurposes IKEA VITAHULT Qi receivers, originally designed for older phones, by disassembling them to extract the internal receiver coil and circuit board. These components are then integrated into the Hexiwear project to enable Qi-based wireless power transfer, overcoming the device's limited USB connector lifespan.
Parts used in the DIY Wireless Charging for Hexiwear:
- IKEA VITAHULT Qi Receiver
- Wireless phone cover (plastic casing)
- Receiver circuit
- Charging coil
- FFDM (Flux Field Directional Material)
- Double side adhesive tape
- Toothpick
The Achilles Heel of the Mikroelektronika Hexiwear is its charging: the charging and USB connector are only designed for a limited number of plug-unplug cycles, and it does not have a wireless charging capability like the Apple iWatch. Until now! I have built a DIY wireless charging system for the Hexiwear ? :
Wireless Qi Charging? IKEA!!!!
I have been experimenting with wireless charing for a few weeks, including building a Qi charging station using a kit from Adafruit (see “Qi Wireless Charging Transmitter with 3D Printed Enclosure“). The problem is that getting Qi charging receivers seems not to be that simple. With my research I have found that the Apple iWatch is using Qi technology, but they tweaked it in a way that it only works with the Apple chargers/receivers (see “Apple tweaked the Qi charging standard so that Apple Watch only works with its own chargers“). Interestingly, the furniture company IKEA is selling Qi transmitters and receivers (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/wireless_charging/). To my surprise, when I visited a nearby IKEA store yesterday, the older iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S4 (VITAHULT) Qi receivers were on sale for CHF 0.95 (about US$1): what could be wrong with buying a few of them? At this point, I should probably mention the ‘rolling eyes’ of my wife ;-).
Opening
The question is: can I use these for my projects? So I decided to open up the wireless phone cover. The cover has to plastic parts, and with a bit tweaking I was able to separate them. Insider there is the battery connector, the receiver circuit and the charging coil under a black FFDM (Flux Field Directional Material):
The FFDM is a high magnetic permeability and low energy loss material which enhances the power transfer efficiency. The FFDM can be easily removed. Under the FFDM there is the receiver coil:
Removing Coil
The coil is glued to the plastic cover with a double side adhesive tape. I used a tooth pick to carefully lift it up:
Read more: DIY IKEA Wireless Qi Charging for the Hexiwear
- Why did the author build a DIY wireless charging system?
The original Hexiwear charging connector has a limited number of plug-unplug cycles and lacks wireless charging capability. - Which product from IKEA was used for this project?
The author used the IKEA VITAHULT Qi receivers that were sold for about one US dollar. - What material is found under the black FFDM layer in the receiver?
The receiver coil is located underneath the FFDM layer. - How can the FFDM be removed from the plastic cover?
The FFDM is easily removable as it is not glued down like the coil. - What tool was used to lift the charging coil off the plastic cover?
A toothpick was used to carefully lift the coil which was attached with double-sided adhesive tape. - What problem does the Apple Watch have regarding Qi technology?
Apple tweaked the Qi standard so that their watches only work with specific Apple chargers and receivers. - Can the extracted parts from the IKEA receiver be used for other projects?
Yes, the author opened the cover to determine if these parts could be used for their Hexiwear project. - What is the function of the FFDM material mentioned in the article?
It is a high magnetic permeability and low energy loss material that enhances power transfer efficiency.
