the fastest way to create a NFC Card Reader device with Shiningintl NFC solution

the NFC card reader system is more and more popular in many countries ,  this article will show a fast way to create a NFC card reader system based on Shiningintl NFC card reader components

1.What is the NFC and NFC card reader?

The Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless communication technology that allows devices to communicate with each other , the distance is normally  within a few centimeters . It operates at low power levels, making it suitable for mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and smart watch. The NFC technology is commonly used for contactless payment systems, keyless entry systems, and data exchange between devices.

There are 3 protocols for NFC:

ISO14443A,ISO14443B, ISO15693,ISO18092.

ISO14443A normally applies in public transportation cards, small value band cards, credit card,  access control cards, and inspection labels. ISO14443B has better encryption performance and is mainly used in fields such as ID cards, passports, that require higher encryption technology. Therefore, the cards with ISO14443A/B protocol are widely used in our market;

The ISO15693 protocol card has a long reading and writing distance and is widely used in certain industries, such as anti-counterfeiting, mandatory inspection, and group reading. The ISO15693 protocol cards we commonly use include NXP’s ICode series and ST’s ST25TV series chipsets.

So after the explanation about NFC,  we then can explain what is NFC card reader,  an NFC card re/*-++der is a device that can read and interact with NFC-enabled cards or tags. These readers are equipped with an antenna that sends and receives radio frequency signals to communicate with the NFC tag or card. They are widely used in various applications, including access control, payment terminals, and transportation systems.

2.Why you needs a NFC card reader ?

In the chapter 1 we have explained the NFC and NFC card reader device, but why we need NFC, and what we can benefit from NFC?  In a word, the NFC card readers provide convenience and efficiency in various scenarios. Here are some reasons why you might need an NFC card reader:

• Contactless Payments: With the increasing popularity of contactless payments, having an NFC card reader allows businesses and individuals to accept payments quickly and securely., it fast the payment procedures replacing the currency.

• Access Control: NFC can be used to grant or restrict access to buildings, rooms, or secure areas based on the information stored on the NFC tag or card., we also have the facial recognization, but it is more common with the NFC solution.

• Data Collection: NFC card readers can be used to collect data from NFC tags, such as product information, inventory tracking, or customer feedback.
• Personalization: NFC tags can store personal preferences, allowing users to quickly set up devices or access personalized content., reduce the repeating operation, make people more comfortable and save time.

3.the important factors concerned in a NFC card reader device

When choosing an NFC card reader device, several factors need to be considered to ensure compatibility, performance, and reliability. Some important factors include:

• Compatibility: the compatibility play a very important role in reality, as we known, there are many chipset vendors to supply NFC chips, we must make sure that the NFC card reader is compatible with the NFC cards with different chipset vendor, for example it must support NXP chipset NFC card, also other ST chipset NFC card.
• Distance range: the distance of the NFC card reader relates to the antenna performance. If the antenna design is not professional, it may happen that the card reader can’t receive or send data successfully, .Check the operating range of the NFC card reader to ensure it meets your needs for distance and speed.
• Security: Consider the security features of the NFC card reader, such as data encryption and authentication mechanisms, to protect sensitive information.
• Connectivity: Determine the type of connection the NFC card reader supports, such as USB, I2C, SPI or UART interfaces, to ensure it can be easily integrated into your existing system. The suitable interface and system supported can reduce your jobs when creating a NFC card reader device.
• Durability: Choose a durable NFC card reader can reduce your clients complaints , can you imagine that the system breaking down leading to many customers complaint? It is horrible to bring business lost when the NFC payment device crashed.

4.Architecture of Shiningintl NFC  card reader device

The Shiningintl NFC card reader device is designed with a compact and efficient architecture that enables seamless integration with various devices and platforms. Its architecture consists of the following components: Main Controller motherboard and NFC module

NFC module:

The NFC module is the slave of the system, it responds the command of the main controller motherboard.

• Antenna: on board antenna, the mini size design of the shiningintl NFC module make the size as small as possible. The antenna is responsible for transmitting and receiving RF signals to communicate with the NFC tag or card.
• Signal Conditioner: The signal conditioner processes the RF signals received by the antenna, ensuring that the data is accurate and reliable.
• Digital Signal Processor (DSP): The DSP processes the data received from the signal conditioner, decoding and interpreting the information stored on the NFC tag or card.
• Host Controller: The host controller manages the communication between the NFC card reader and the connected device, such as a smartphone or laptop.
• Power Management Unit: The power management unit ensures that the NFC card reader operates efficiently and consumes minimal power during idle times.

Main Controller motherboard:

The main controller is the master of the system, it sends out commands to NFC module, and receives data from the NFC module, and also running application to realize the events control, such as opening door , passing passport verification, making payment.

the main controller is  the master to hanle operation with the NFC module, such as read , write , when the module detects a NFC card is near the reader, it will notice the main controller, then the main controller can start a business transaction such as paying money, reading ticket,  the main controller is a very important role to handle all the procedures.. Shiningintl Android computer motherboard(android PC motherboard) is the ARM computer motherboard with android 10 operation system inside, it is a very small size motherboard to provide powerful computing capability , the detail motherboard specification is here.

the architecture is shown here:

5.Advantages of  Shiningintl NFC card reader device 

The Shiningintl NFC card reader device offers several advantages comparing to other NFC readers in the market, including:

• High Compatibility: The Shiningintl NFC card reader solution supports a wide range of devices and platforms, making it easy to integrate into various systems., Shiningintl main controller motherboard chooses a reliable chipset and stable android 10 system, it has been certificated in many projects, and it is the smallest size android controller motherboard.
• Fast Reading Speed: The reader is capable of reading NFC tags and cards at high speeds, ensuring quick transactions and data transfers. We choose the NXP PN7150 chipset inside the module, the responding speed is farthest comparing to other chipsets.
• Advanced Security Features: The Shiningintl NFC card reader adopts the original androd open source program(ASOP) system, The drivers and architecture is developed and certified by NXP chipset manufacturer, the system is more securable with advanced security features, such as data encryption and authentication mechanisms, to protect sensitive information.
• Low Power Consumption: The power management unit ensures that the NFC card reader operates efficiently, reducing power consumption and extending battery life for mobile devices., 50ma current when operating.
• Compact Design: The Shiningintl NFC card reader is designed to be compact and portable, making it ideal for use in a variety of environments. The android controller board size is bellow 90mmx73mm, and the NFC module size is only 68mmx22mm
• Flexible design: the NFC module and the main controller board are separated, the controller and NFC module can be replaced based on new requirements and conditions, for example, take the NFC module to a bigger system, it already has controller, then we don’t need the android controller board, the inside firmware can be directly communicate through commands.

6.Specification of Shiningintl NFC card reader device

The Shiningintl NFC card reader device has the following specifications:

• Compatibility: Supports NFC Forum Type 1, 2, 3, and 4A tags, as well as contactless smartcards.
• Frequency: Operates at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.
• Range: Read range up to 4 cm.
• Data Rate: Supports data rates up to 848 kbps.
• Connectivity: I2C interface between main controller and NFC module
• Power Consumption: Active mode consumes less than 100 mA
• Size: main controller board: 89mmx73mm NFC module:
• Weight: Lightweight at approximately 25 grams.
• temperature: -20 degree to 70 degree

In conclusion, the Shiningintl NFC card reader device offers a reliable and efficient infrastruction solution for various NFC applications,

more information about the shiningintl NFC system