STMicroelectronics introduces the second generation of NFC controllers

     STMicroelectronics introduces the second generation Near Field Communications (NFC) controller. Together with a rich portfolio of security units, the new IC will accelerate the advent of a new era of secure contactless applications and services for smartphones.

     Near field communication technology can wirelessly connect mobile devices such as smart phones to various contactless smart cards and devices, and mobile payment is considered to be one of the main applications of near field communication technology in the near future. According to a recent report by Juniper Research, the value of transactions completed through NFC globally will exceed $30 billion after 2012. NLS supports reader/writer, peer-to-peer, and card-emulation models, providing many additional innovative services and personalized marketing campaigns through customers' smartphones.

     St's next-generation NFC controller chip, the ST21NFCA, supports all NFC use cases and is able to coordinate multiple NFC security applications stored in different locations, such as SWP-SIM and SWP-microSD cards or embedded security units. The corresponding NFC software stack runs on the end device's main processor and supports different versions of Google's Android operating systems, including the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and the upcoming Microsoft® Windows 8 operating system. The new controller is fully compatible with ST's wide range of security unit chips.

     Laurent Degauque, Embedded Security Business Manager for Secure Microcontrollers at ST, said: "With a complete and diverse product portfolio, we are the only semiconductor company that can handle all NFC business models in one solution, which allows us to maximize the freedom of integrated device selection for smartphone or mobile device vendors and provide innovative contactless services to end users quickly and easily."

     St's family of Secure units is based on the Secure ARM® SC300 32-bit core with built-in flash memory capacities ranging from 512KB to 1.2MB. It has obtained the latest EMVCo and Common Criteria EAL5+ security certifications. The product performance meets the requirements of the most advanced Java Card 3.0.1 and Global Platform GP2.2 security operating systems, which allow different service providers to access the same security unit.

     These security unit chips can be designed in a variety of shapes, including SWP-SIM, SWP-MicroSD, embedded security units, and advanced system-level packaging solutions with integrated NFC controllers.

     The full range of ST Security unit products can be selected with MIFARE ClassicTM and MIFARE DESFireTM support, which enable customers to meet the final design of the most widely used ticket and ticket sales solutions worldwide.
The ST21NFCA controller works with the ST33 product family to cover the full range of NFC use cases, meeting the technical requirements of NFC for handset manufacturers and mobile network operators, minimizing development efforts and reducing time to market to ensure solutions meet the future demands of the evolving NFC market.