Process for Triggering the Key Ceremony with the WPC’s Qi® 1.3 and Qi 2.0 Specification

If you are wondering how to trigger the key ceremony with the WPC in compliance with Qi 1.3 and Qi 2.0 specification, you are in the right place! In planning for the Qi 1.3 and Qi 2.0 wireless charger design, it mandates the usage of secure storage subsystems,in other words, a secure element. What steps do you need to take to start the key ceremony between Microchip secure elements and the WPC organization?

In this blog post, we provide a step-by-step guide for how to get your own ECC608-TFLXWPC, ECC204, TA010 or TA100 provisioned with your WPC certificate chain and associated private key.

Step 1: This step is mandatory but completely independent from Microchip. The Qi 1.3 and Qi 2.0 Power Transmitter MFG (PTMFG) becomes a member of the WPC.

• The PTMFG must obtain a Power Transmitter Manufacturers Code (PTMC)
• To request a new Manufacturer Code, contact PRMC@wirelesspowerconsortium.com
• The PTMFG must sign the “WIRELESS POWER CONSORTIUM, INC. AUTHORIZED MANUFACTURER AGREEMENT”
• The reference agreement for legal review is available on the WPC website:
• https://members.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/data/downloadables/3/0/5/1/20210305b-wpc-authentication-agreement-for-manufacturer-reference-copy.pdf?highlight=manufacturers+agreement
• When ready to sign, submit an email to the WPC membership@wirelesspowerconsortium.com requesting a company specific agreement
• Include signatory email contact info in the request

Step 2: The PTMFG then expresses their intent to certify to the WPC at which point the WPC assigns the PTMFG a unique Qi ID.

• It is possible to reserve a Qi-ID by starting the application to register a product here:
• https://members.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/members/members-info/product_registration_services/reserving-a-qi-id-for-future-use.html

Step 3: The PTMFG needs to send an email to the WPC ala@wirelesspowerconsortium.com stating they have selected Microchip Technology as their WPC Manufacturing Certificate Authority listing the associated PTMC and Qi ID.

Step 4: The Microchip Secure Products Group, as an approved WPC Certificate Authority (CA), then submits a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to the WPC Root CA on the customer's behalf resulting in the creation of a customer Manufacturing Certificate.

• Microchip will initiate the key signing ceremony with WPC on behalf of the customer through the WPC automated CSR submission process once all of the WPC requirements have been met*.
• *Microchip needs the PTMFG Qi ID, PTMC and WPC confirmation that the PTMFG is a WPC member in good standing with a signed Authorized MFG Agreement in place prior to the key signing ceremony
• It typically takes 3-5 business days for Microchip to receive signed certificates from WPC and additional time for Microchip to process.

Step 5: Microchip will perform the key ceremony on the behalf of the PTMFG and create a certificate chain rooted to the WPC CA. Microchip will then provide customer specific samples after a successful CSR which removes the technical complexity and risks from your product development cycle associated to this key ceremony and secure provisioning of the secure elements.

For further questions or customer support, please reach out to or take a look at this blog for more basic concepts of the Qi 1.3 and Qi 2.0 authentication.

To read more on this subject we have a two part blog on the topic. In part one, we discuss why secure authentication was added to the Qi WPC1.3 and 2.0 wireless charging specification. Read part two here where we explain how secure authentication works including the key ceremony process and present Microchip solutions.

Resources

Qi 1.3 Reference design: https://www.microchip.com/en-us/solutions/technologies/power-conversion/wireless-power

Consumer Secure Storage Subsystem: https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/ecc608-tflxwpc

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/ecc204

Automotive Secure Storage Subsystem: https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/ta010

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/ta100

Microcontroller: https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/dspic33ck256mp506

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