What is an NFC reader?
NFC readers communicate with smart cards, NFC tags as well as with NFC-enabled devices—such as smartphones and consumer goods. With a simple tap, they write and read data using several operating modes: card emulation, read/write, and peer-to-peer. Active NFC readers have a typical read-range of up to 10 cm and can also charge small battery-powered devices. This variety of options enables a wide range of applications and use cases.
The ST25R NFC readers provide multiprotocol support for 13.56 MHz communications such as ISO 14443 Type A and B, ISO 15693, ISO 18092, FeliCa, and NFC Forum protocols. NFC reader ICs integrate an SPI interface to communicate with a host microcontroller.
As a main provider of Near-Field Communication technology, ST's complete NFC reader portfolio helps you design and develop the most effective and secure contactless solutions for all embedded applications (payment, automotive, healthcare, monitoring devices, etc.)
Applications
With their advanced features, ST25 Readers enable a wide range of opportunities. NFC Forum CR13 certified, the ST25 Readers ensure interoperability with mobile phones and all other sorts of NFC-enabled devices and cards.
The device can be used in consumer goods and industrial flow for power and data transfer to authenticate, improve safety and increase customer experience as well as to get valuable feedback on product usage.
For the best possible payment terminal experience while speeding up time-to-market, our ST25 NFC readers feature Active Wave Shaping (AWS) and Dynamic Power Output (DPO) making certification easier than before. Fully compliant with the latest EMVCo® requirements, they also integrate a Noise Suppression Receiver (NSR) to guarantee dependable connectivity in the event of noisy environments, especially when the NFC antenna is close to an LCD screen.
Low-power consumption enables access control for buildings and cars and allows a good user experience that is ensured by a large interaction volume and robustness of the solution.
New ST25R3916B: High-performance NFC Universal Device & EMVCo Reader
Thanks to its outstanding performances and unique features, our new NFC universal device ST25R3916B is ideal for payment applications, such as EMVCo 3.1a terminals..
It is also a perfect fit for many consumer and industrial applications, including access control, gaming, IoT, pairing, brand protection, product configuration, authentication, and traceability.
Key features include:
- 1.6W output power at 5V
- Improved Active Wave Shaping (vs ST25R3916)
- Automatic Antenna Tuning (AAT)
- Noise Suppression Receiver
- Dynamic Power Output (DPO) with higher granularity to control field strength (vs ST25R3916)
- Inductive Wake-Up (IWU) for low-power card detection
- Certified by NFC Forum CR13
- EMVCo 3.1a software and hardware reference available
Product types
Unique features ensure designers fast time-to-market and compliance with relevant NFC specifications, faster EMVCo® certification and reduced BOM.
ST25R NFC reader portfolio
Benefits
- Improved communication range in noisy environments (e.g., antenna close to LCD screen) thanks to an enhanced noise suppression feature/algorithm
- Faster EMVCo® certification thanks to the dynamic power output with active wave-shaping control on each power level
- Outstanding detection range, with minimal power consumption to preserve battery power
- Robust NFC solution, even in harsh environments (such as temperature drift or metal) thanks to automatic antenna tuning
- Advanced protection and diagnostic features for NFC card protection in Qi chargers
- Simplified debugging with multiple test outputs and a unique technology to differentiate cards from phones
Useful information
WHAT IS ACTIVE WAVE SHAPING (AWS) The improved active wave shape (AWS) function allows reducing over- and undershoots in a simple way to ease EMVCo analog certification. 
WHAT IS AUTOMATIC ANTENNA TUNING (AAT) Automatic antenna tuning (AAT) helps maximize performance in harsh or varying environments and compensate lifetime drifts. 
WHAT IS DYNAMIC POWER OUTPUT (DPO) The Dynamic Power Output (DPO) adjusts the output power automatically to stay within certification limits and optimizes efficiency and read range. 
WHAT IS NOISE SUPPRESSION RECEIVER (NSR) The noise suppression receiver (NSR) allows robust communication in noisy environments—e.g., LCD displays close to POS antenna. 
WHAT IS INDUCTIVE WAKE-UP (IWU) The inductive wake-up mode enables the NFC reader to enter a low power mode to conserve energy and go to full operation when a card or tag is detected. 
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