Demo kit enables NFC reader functionality on MCUs

Panthronics has developed an IoT NFC Reader application to run on the Renesas Synergy TB-S3A1, a development board for the Synergy S3A1 series of microcontrollers which are based on a 48MHz Arm Cortex-M4 core. NFC physical and protocol layer operations are performed on a Panthronics PTX100R Evalboard, which connects to the TB-S3A1 board via its Pmod header. The application provides full NFC reader functionality conforming to the standard ISO 14443A/B/F/V specifications.

The PTX100R Evalboard and IoT NFC Reader application are fully integrated into the Synergy Software Package from Renesas and its e2 studio integrated development environment.

Mohammed Dogar, Senior Director of Global Business Development at Renesas, said: “Simple contactless communication is one of the key supporting technologies for the IoT, enabling important functions such as secure device authentication, device onboarding, and pairing with a gateway for WiFi or other networks. So an application-ready NFC solution is a valuable part of the development ecosystem for platforms such as the Renesas Synergy microcontrollers. We chose the PTX100R NFC hardware and application because they work so well and intuitively, in any application conditions. That means any Synergy MCU user, whether or not they are NFC experts, can introduce NFC functionality into their system design quickly and easily.”

The demo kit’s Panthronics PTX100R Evalboard provides a complete hardware environment for evaluating the operation of the PTX100R Reader IC. Benefiting from a unique architecture designed for the ground up for NFC systems, Panthronics NFC readers offer higher sensitivity, more accurate wave-shaping, higher output power and a simpler hardware implementation than conventional NFC reader ICs.

Developers of NFC-based end products such as mobile point-of-sale terminals and mobile phones find the superior performance of the PTX100R means that they can complete product development faster, with easier validation of conformance with standards such as EMVCo 3.0.

The PTX100R Evalboard supports full NFC functionality. It includes a 50mm x 50mm antenna board which may be detached along with its matching circuit to allow users to evaluate the PTX100R’s performance with their own antenna.

Developers using the PTX100R Evalboard can also take advantage of dedicated applications engineering support provided directly by Panthronics via the PTX Support Portal online. The portal provides password-protected access to a knowledge base of product data, articles and guidance for each of four types of application: point-of-sale terminals, wireless charging, IoT devices, and mobile devices. It also provides APIs, a configuration tool and a GUI with installer. Registered users of the portal can access 24/7 engineering support by issuing ticket requests.

Bernhard Gruber, Director of Applications at Panthronics, said: “Renesas and Panthronics have worked closely together to integrate the PTX100R’s functionality and firmware into the Synergy Platform development system. For developers building applications on the Synergy Platform, there is now a ready-made way to integrate NFC reader functionality, and benefit from the robust connectivity and design flexibility afforded by the PTX100R.”