Swiss based semiconductor firm STMicroelectronics and German RFID reader specialist Feig Electronic are collaborating to develop new contactless systems for applications such as smart industrial, consumer, and medical devices.

The two firms have created a production-ready contactless system capable of personalising palletised items containing ST’s ST25DV NFC dynamic tags in just a few seconds, eliminating the need to power-up or even remove the products from their packaging. 

With this system, end users can eliminate the costs associated with inline programming and leverage contactless NFC technology to gain more efficient and flexible stock-management and logistics.

A typical application configures setup parameters such as manufacturer ID, serial number, and default language in new products before they are shipped. Historically a laborious and time-consuming process that requires connecting each unit to a programmer, basic setting up can now take place at any convenient point in the supply chain using this new contactless solution.

The new solution extends the readable range for contactless NFC interactions beyond the typical distance of only a few centimetres, to create a 1m x 1m x 1m readable space. By connecting the Feig ID LR2500 long-range reader/writer to two pairs of long-range antennas positioned on either side of the reading area, the Feig system can simultaneously program batches of products containing the ST25DV dynamic NFC tags placed in the reading area.

“Our ST25DV dynamic NFC tag is a catalyst for creative contactless applications that enhance numerous activities including smart manufacturing, asset tracking, and brand protection,” said Sylvain Fidelis, ST25 Marketing and Applications Manager, STMicroelectronics. “In this case, the tag’s dual RF and host interfaces and large built-in non-volatile memory let Feig’s powerful long-range system update the personalisation settings of already-packaged products quickly and efficiently.”

“Working with ST, we have produced a game-changing innovation that enables product manufacturers to boost productivity, save factory space, and benefit from extra flexibility to organise product personalisation and shipping,” said Wolfgang Meissner, Senior Product Manager at Feig Electronic GmbH. “Leveraging features of the ST25DV, the use case we have demonstrated can be extended to activities such as updating existing inventory with latest firmware before dispatch.”

ST’s ST25DV dynamic tag is compliant with the NFC Forum Type-5 specification and contains up to 64Kbits of EEPROM, an I2C interface that allows the tag to connect to a host microcontroller or processor, and energy-harvesting circuitry. An integrated buffer of 256 Bytes permits high data-transfer speeds suitable for exchanging larger files such as firmware upgrades.

The Feig Electronic RF Long Range Reader ID LR2500 combines a transmitter, operating up to 12 Watts, with a high-sensitivity receiver to cover an enlarged and at the same time homogeneous tag detection range. Due to its data processing and anti-collision performance, the reader is suitable for applications with a high number of tags inside the reading area.