NXP’S PN7462 NFC Controller Solutions

All-In-One Full NFC Controller Solutions with Customizable Firmware

The PN7462 from NXP is a family of all-in-one full Near Field Communication, or NFC controller solutions with customizable firmware. These 32-bit ARM® Cortex®-M0-based NFC microcontrollers feature NFC, microcontroller, optional contact smart card reader, and software in a single chip and operate at CPU frequencies of up to 20 MHz.

nfc controllerThe peripheral complement of the PN7462 microcontroller includes 160 kB of flash memory that can be configured to run fully custom applications, 12 kB of SRAM data memory, and 4 kB EEPROM. It also includes one host interface with either high-speed mode I2C-bus, SPI, USB, or high-speed UART, and two master interfaces, SPI and fast-mode plus I2C-bus. Four general-purpose counter/timers, a random number generator, one CRC coprocessor, and up to 21 general-purpose I/O pins are also available.

Low-power operation, extensive memory resources, a complete set of host and peripheral interfaces, and reader libraries compliant with different standards combine to enhance performance while simplifying final certification and delivery. Thanks to the integration of Dynamic Power Control (DPC) the optimized antenna operation enables best-in-class performance.

The PN7462 NFC controller family offers a one chip solution to build contactless applications. It is equipped with a highly integrated high-power output NFC-IC for contactless communication at 13.56 MHz enabling EMV-compliance on RF level, without additional external active components. The PN7462 family supports the following operating modes:

  • ISO/IEC 14443-A and B, MIFARE®
  • JIS X 6319-4 (comparable with FeliCa scheme)
  • ISO/IEC 15693, ICODE®. ISO/IEC 18000-3 mode 3
  • NFC protocols – tag reader/writer, P2P
  • ISO/IEC 14443- type A card emulation
  • EMVCo compliance

By integrating an ISO/IEC 7816 interface on a single chip in the PN7462, it provides a solution for dual interface smart card readers. PN7462 contact interface offers a high level of security for the card by performing current limiting, short-circuit detection, ESD protection as well as supply supervision. An additional UART output is also implemented to address applications where more than one contact card slot is needed. It enables an easy connection to multiple smart card slot interfaces like TDA8026.

The VCC is regulated at 5V, 3V, and 1.8V. PN7462 provides thermal and short-circuit protection on all card contacts. It also provides automatic activation and deactivation sequences initiated by software or hardware. The sequences are activated or deactivated in the event of short-circuit, card removal, and overheating.

The PN7462 family features a state-of-the-art RF interface (Full NFC, EMVCo 2.5); Read/Write, Card Emulation, and Peer-to-Peer modes; a transmitter current up to 250 mA; DPC for optimized antenna performance; extensive host and peripheral interfaces; host/slave and master interfaces (I2C, SPI, USB, HSUART); optional contact interface (UART, ISO/IEC 7816, EMVCo 4.3); HVQFN64 package (9 x 9 mm); and ISO/IEC 14443 Type A&B licenses.

Backed by an extensive set of support tools, the PN7462 NFC controller family makes it easy to complete a design. The devices are compatible with industry-standard development tools and come with a complete evaluation kit (OM27462CDK). To simplify the certification process, the devices are supplied with libraries that are validated and pre-certified for EMVCo hardware and software (contact and contactless), and also comply with NFC Forum guidelines for NFC analog and digital, as well as the MIFARE card family.