STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company, is supporting easy use of contactless NFC technology.

STMicroelectronics today announced an innovative development kit featuring its new ST25R200 reader/writer IC, making it easier to explore contactless Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology.

ST's new NFC transceiver boasts outstanding performance, combining low power consumption, signal quality, and power management control functions.

The ST25R200 NFC transceiver provides robust and clear wireless connectivity, and the STEVAL-25R200SA kit for evaluating this reader IC includes the ultra-compact, ready-to-run ST25R200 board and multiple antennas to support a variety of designs, including single and dual antennas.

This evaluation kit consists of a 50Ohm antenna interface and a programmable tag, allowing users to easily test.

The modular kit rapidly builds a proof-of-concept model to quickly demonstrate convenient short-range wireless communication for device pairing, setup configuration, and brand protection through product authentication.

The main board and antenna are NFC certified and are suitable for medical devices, power tools, home appliances, game consoles, personal healthcare devices, etc. Suitable for a wide range of industrial, consumer and healthcare technologies.

“The ST25R200 is designed to be easy to design with, even for developers who are not familiar with NFC technology,” said Patrick Sohn, NFC Tag and Reader Business Unit Manager at ST. “The chip expands design margins with its high performance and cost-effectiveness, and the STEVAL-25R200SA evaluation kit provides a variety of ready-to-use antenna configuration options,” he explained.

The ST25R200 NFC reader features ST’s Noise Suppression Receiver (NSR), ensuring high interference resistance even when placed in close proximity to noise sources such as LCD panels included in the same device.

The receiver circuitry also features an advanced analog front end (AFE) and standard NFC-A/B (ISO 14443A/B) and NFC-V (ISO 15693) data framing capabilities.

It also features built-in Low-Power Card Detection (LPCD) for improved wake-up and a smooth, uninterrupted user experience.

The 1.2W transmitter features Dynamic Power Output (DPO) control to adjust field strength, and overshoot/undershoot protection to ensure consistent signals during data exchange.

The ST25R200 leader IC operates over a wide power supply and peripheral I/O voltage range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V, and operates reliably at temperatures from -40 °C to 85 °C.

Additionally, various operating modes that support power management can reduce the device's current to as little as 1μA, extending the operating time of battery-powered applications. In reset mode, it consumes only 0.1μA.

The ST25R200 is currently in production and is available in a compact 4mm x 4mm 24-pin TQFN package that enables contactless card experiences even in small devices. Pricing starts at $1.99 for orders of 1,000 pieces.