Joint ST and ams NFC solution with software running on STM32 family
of microcontrollers is ideal for IoT nodes and contactless card
emulation in wearables
ams AG (SIX:AMS), a leading provider of high performance sensors and
analog ICs, today announced that its proven boostedNFC technology, which
enables reliable NFC coupling in space-constrained devices, has been
implemented in a complete system development board compatible with the
popular STM32 family of microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics.
The new NFC expansion board released today by ST, which plugs into
Nucleo STM32 main boards, provides a complete design blueprint for
implementing NFC in applications such as IoT nodes, in which NFC can be
used for configuration and network commissioning, and wearable devices,
in which it may securely carry data for contactless payments, ticketing
or access control.
The expansion board is supplied with a full suite of NFC firmware
provided by ST for its broad family of ARM® Cortex®-M based STM32
microcontrollers. The NFC board is complemented by other expansion
boards implementing fingerprint recognition, Bluetooth® connectivity,
M2M communications and a display, to enable rapid prototyping of a
complete NFC-enabled end product.
ST’s NFC expansion board is based on the ams AS39230 boostedNFC analog
front end, and ST’s own ST54E system-in-package (incorporating the
ST21NFCC controller and the ST33G1M2 Secure Element). Depending on
application requirements, the board can be connected to various antenna
sizes, ranging from 400mm² supporting NFC Reader/Writer functionality
down to ultra-tiny SMD antennas for Card Emulation-only functionality.
The circuit implemented in the new board provides outstanding NFC
performance in conditions hostile to RF signals, for instance when
operating close to or inside metal surfaces, or when transmitting
through a very small antenna. Designers of IoT nodes and wearables, for
instance, often have to enclose their devices in metal housings, or must
accommodate an antenna inside an extremely small enclosure. The new
expansion board gives them a ready-made NFC implementation that will
achieve fast, reliable coupling with any standard NFC reader, such as
smartphones, contactless payment terminals, transit system entry
barriers and access control card readers.
The design implemented in the expansion board is also suitable for use
in applications which require worldwide certification, including for
Common Criteria, EMVCo, GlobalPlatform, and Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and
the People’s Bank of China (PBoC). It enables OEMs using an STM32 MCU to
quickly implement a new design for a wearable device, such as a
wristband or smart watch, which can be used to pay for goods at
contactless payment terminals, to emulate smart cards such as metro
transit ticket cards, or to perform access control functions such as
keyless entry to hotel rooms.
The excellent RF performance of the NFC expansion board is due to the
active load modulation method of boosting the NFC signal implemented in
the AS39230. This produces an operating volume some 10 times larger than
the passive load modulation method used in smart cards. At the same
time, the AS39230 based system draws as low as 15µA average current in
listening mode, thus draining far less power from the battery than
conventional NFC solutions.
“The secure NFC expansion board’s RF performance is absolutely
outstanding, and since it contains very few components it is remarkably
easy for users of STM32 MCUs to implement. Because it is supported by a
full suite of ST firmware for NFC applications, this board provides the
quickest, surest way to implement a successful new NFC design,” said
Laurent Degauque, Secure Microcontrollers Division Marketing Director of
STMicroelectronics.
“No other NFC development system can operate completely reliably through
an antenna as small as 100mm2, or even use the metal casing
of the product as an antenna. The AS39230 in the NFC expansion board can
do this, and that is why it is the best choice on the market for
designers of any product with a space- or performance-constrained
antenna,” said Mark Dickson, Business Line Director of Wireless
Connectivity at ams.
The secure NFC expansion board is available now from STMicroelectronics.
The AS39230 NFC AFE is available now in production volumes from ams.
Unit pricing is available on request.
For sample requests and for more technical information about the
AS39230, go to www.ams.com/NFC-HF-Booster/AS39230.
Further information on ST secure MCUs can be found at www.st.com/securewearable
Download press picture and block diagram at http://www.ams.com/eng/Press/Press-Releases/
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