ST strips down NFC transceiver to make IC for passive peer-to-peer, card-emulation and reader use

Author: EIS Release Date: Jun 22, 2021

ST Microelectronics has striped down its flagship ST25R3916 NFC reader to create a lower cost IC for identifying accessories for power tools and personal healthcare devices, for example.

 

ST25R3918 block diagram

Called ST25R3918, it works with the company’s ST25 tags, and can be used as an NFC-A/B (ISO 14443A/B) card reader up to 848kbit/s, an NFC-V (ISO 15693) reader up to 53kbit/s, and an ISO 18092 passive initiator and target.

 

“The card emulation mode allows support for the newest features available on mobile phones,” said the company. “End customers can use their phones to interact with applications that utilize the ST25R3918, including using a simple tap to start apps on the phone.”

 

Device programming and simple NDEF data transfers are also permitted, and “users can leverage special stream and transparent modes of the analogue front end and framing system to implement other custom protocols in card-reader and card-emulation modes,” said ST.

 

 

 

Low power wake-up mode is included to scan for the presence of a card by performing a measurement of the amplitude or phase of the antenna signal, and a low power RC oscillator and wake-up timer are available to automate checking for a presence of a tag.

 

Operation is over 2.6 to 5.5V and -40 to +105°C – extendable down to 2.4V above -20°C. IO voltage range is 1.65 to 5.5V.