STMicroelectronics NFC devices for contactless payments

STMicroelectronics has announced its latest-generation NFC devices for contactless payments and data exchange. The devices include the ST21NFCD NFC controller and two more members of the ST54 system-in-package (SiP) family.

The ST21NFCD chip features active load modulation for fast, smooth transactions over long distances, delivering good user experiences in mobiles, wearables or IoT devices. It supports card emulation, reader/writer and peer-to-peer communication modes, and contains eFlash to permit full firmware update. It supports the NFC Forum’s NCI 2.0 specification, which simplifies software development for interacting with NFC tags and supports batching and autonomous exchanges to minimise communication overheads. The IC also meets NFC Forum type 1–5 tag specifications, ISO/IEC 18092 NFC Interface and Protocol (NFCIP), and payment standards including EMVCo latest revisions.

Built-in power management and battery-voltage monitoring minimise any impact on runtime in a host system such as a smartphone. Other features include high RF sensitivity, the option to use an external clock source instead of a crystal and high output power, making the DC/DC booster optional.

ST’s ST54F and ST54H systems-in-packages contain the ST21NFCD NFC controller and an embedded Secure Element (eSE). The eSE is an ST33 secure microcontroller certified to security standards including Common Criteria EAL5+ and EMVCo for financial applications, which ensures strong protection against duplication and hacking in a compact and easy-to-use integrated device. It leverages the ARM SecurCore SC300 core and supports secure operating systems (OS) running Java Card and GlobalPlatform.

The ST54F integrates the ST21NFCD with the widely deployed ST33G1M2 Secure Element with up to 1.28 MB of eFlash. The ST54H embeds the ST33J2M0 Secure Element with up to 2 MB eFlash and twice the performance of the ST33G1M2 to connect with digital secure applications from service providers.

For more information: http://www.st.com/en/secure-mcus/secure-nfc.html.