litepoint iqnfc overview - ace · pdf fileiso 10373-6 contactless smart cards ... • q...

© 2014 LitePoint Corp. LitePoint Confidential Information L i teP o i n t C on f i d e n t i a l© 2014 L i t eP o in t , A Te r ad yn e C om pan y. A l l r i gh t s r e se r ved .

LitePoint IQnfc Overview

Production NFC PHY Layer Test

• Near field communication (NFC) is a set of short-range wireless communication technologies

• NFC offers safe, yet simple communication between electronic devices• NFC is based on RFID technology that uses magnetic field induction

between electronic devices in close proximity• NFC physical layer specification:

- Operates at 13.56 MHz

NFC Overview

© 2014 LitePoint Corp. LitePoint Confidential Information

- Operates at 13.56 MHz - Data rates ranging from 106 kbps to 848 kbps- Modulation type: Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK)

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Standard Test Spec Main Use CasesDUT as

transmitterDUT as receiver

ISO 14443 Type A and B (Proximity)

ISO 10373-6 Contactless smart cards(mobile identification, ticketing, access control, toll-gate)

PCD PICC

ISO 15693 (Vicinity) ISO 10373-7 VCD VICC

ISO 18092 (NFC-IP1)

ISO 22536 and 23917

E-Wallet, mobile phone data transfer

Initiator Target

NFC Standards and Terminologies


NFC ForumNFC Forum analog and digital test specs

Based on ISO 18092 and 14443. Promote NFC and ensure interoperability

Polling DeviceListening Device

FeliCaBased on 18092Japanese standard

Polling DeviceListening Device

EMVcoEMVCo L1 analog and digital test specs

Contactless specification for payment systems

PCD PICC

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• PCD= Proximity Coupling Device; PICC=Proximity Integrated Circuit Card

• VCD= Vicinity Coupling Device; VICC=Vicinity Integrated Circuit Card

Card Emulation Mode• Transport & Ticketing• Access Control• Mobile Payment

Phone (Passive acting as a Tag), Reader (Active )

Reader Mode

Applications

NFC Operating Modes

CPU

OS

© 2014 LitePoint Corp. LitePoint Confidential Information 4

Reader Mode• Smart Posters• ID Check• Mobile Advertising

Phone (Active), Tag (Passive)

Peer to Peer Mode• Data Exchange• P2P Payment

Phone (Active), Device (Active )

Matching circuit and antenna

NFC Chip

SIM or SE

Simplified Pairing

(for Bluetooth and WiFi)

NFC will be Used for Mission Critical Applications

Financial transactions enabled by

NFC

Business and Home Access

enabled by NFC


and WiFi)

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Advertisingenhanced with NFC (provides link to browser)

Simplified Access to

Public Transportation

NFC: Theory of Operation

• NFC is very different from other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi or BT

• NFC relies on the coupling of two highly tuned, low frequency, narrowband coils- The loop antennas provide strong electromagnetic mutual induction resonance

• Q Factor are typically high to allow efficient transfer of energy- Small variation in resonant circuitry can significantly affect Q


- Small variation in resonant circuitry can significantly affect Q

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NFC IC

C

LC

R

R

Integrated Circuit Matching Components Coil

Where Can Things Go Wrong with NFC

Functional Blocks:


• Insufficient drive level from IC

• Bad matching affects efficient power transfer

• Variant in film thickness changes coil’s inductance and resistance.

• Poor contact to PCB (coil on battery or back cover)

• Bad/missing component(s)• Wrong component(s)• Component tolerance variation• Bad solder joint(s)

• NFC performance is all about energy transfer and quality of transmitted signal.• Analog variations in any of these three areas will affect overall NFC performance.

• E.g. Prevent communication between devices

Potential Failure Mechanisms:

Small Shifts Have Large Performance Impacts(5% variations in component tolerance values—shifts power and frequency)

Production Issues• Wrong value components• Wrong tolerance components• Bad components

Performance Impact


Performance Impact• Higher power consumption• Reduced operating range

Poor User Experience• Financial transactions fail• Denied entry to mass transit• etc.

500 kHz shifton a 13 MHz signal

(4% shift)

• NFC operation is all about energy transfer and quality of the transmitted signal- Analog performance parameters must be monitored and controlled- Component and assembly variations will affect performance- Digital operation will not vary (so no need to test)

• Key performance indicators to ensure NFC functionality in production are:- Resonant frequency of the circuit- Q Factor

Testing NFC in Production


- Q Factor- Field Strength- Load Modulation Amplitude

• Implications of poor NFC performance:- Communication failure between devices- High current consumption by device

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Pass/Fail (golden DUT) Test is a Risky Method

• Gives no indication of individual device performance, or trends in performance• Provides no run chart to visualize shifts and signal yield risks• Pass/fail involves multiple insertions/stations, adding to cycle time• Limits and guard bands cannot be controlled • High likelihood of passing marginal units (or failing good ones)• What assures the golden DUTs are centered and stable?


Passive Tag Active Reader

Large Performance Spread in Commercial Devices(Data taken from a sampling of NFC-enabled Smart Phones, using IQnfc)

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8

10

12

14

16

Num

ber

of D

UTs

Tes

ted

Spread in Resonant Frequency Measurement over Sampl e Population


• >90% of DUTs tests showed substantial shift from ideal 13.56MHz operating frequency• This increases probability that NFC link will not consistently work in real world situations

0

2

4

6

13.00 13.20 13.40 13.60 13.80 14.00 14.20 14.40 14.60 14.80 15.00 15.20 15.40 15.60 15.80 16.00 16.20

Num

ber

of D

UTs

Tes

ted

Resonant Frequency (MHz)

13.56MHzLink Frequency

IQnfc at a GlanceSingle-insertion testing:

Universal Test Head covers all NFC proximity standards, keeping

test time to under 5 seconds.

Built for the manufacturing floor: Rugged 1U design can handle demanding factory conditions

to maximize up-time and minimize maintenance.


Compatible with all key NFC chipsets: Use of reduced signal stack eliminates need for PC-based DUT drivers, and

enables system rollout in just a few hours.

Everything Needed for Easy Setup: Monitor, Transceiver, and Control cables included,

along with Universal Test Head and Test Instrument.

Test Automation Software Included with IQnfc

Intuitive, easy-to-use Operator Interface: One-click operation minimizes need for operator training. Get up and running in

minutes.


Test Plan Editor for fast setup: Fast and easy way to configure IQnfc

and set test limits.

Manual Test Software Included with IQnfc

User friendly GUI for detailed RF parametric results: Transceiver mode and Frequency sweep mode


Detailed waveform shape and modulation parameters

IQnfc Summary

• Captures key performance parameters that must be measured in production:- Resonant frequency, Q Factor, Field Strength, Load Modulation Amplitude

• High-throughput solution:- Single insertion testing; 5 second typical test time- Less time than typically used for multi-insertion, pass/fail testing


• Deploys in minutes:- Single universal test head covers all key standards- Utilizes simplified signaling layer to eliminate need for DUT drivers- All cables included

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