New-TechEurope Magazine | November 2017 | Digital Edition

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new products
board features a MEMSmicrophone and an inertial module
containing a MEMS 3D accelerometer and gyroscope.
AMS launches NFC Sensor Interface for
Industrial IoT
AMS, a leading worldwide supplier of high performance
sensor solutions, today released the AS3956, a dynamic
NFC tag IC which meets industrial-grade quality standards
and provides very high reliability in mission-critical
applications and in products with a long operating lifetime.
The AS3956 dynamic tag acts as a contactless bridge
between sensors and any NFC reader, such as a
smartphone, through a host microcontroller. It supports
the NDEFmessaging protocol in full compliance with NFC
Forum recommendations, guaranteeing interoperability
with any NFC phones, including Apple® iOS devices
In designing the robust AS3956, ams drew on close
interaction with customers that manufacture products
for industrial applications and the Internet of Things
(IoT). Intensive testing in real-world applications has
validated the performance and reliability of the chip in a
wide range of demanding operating conditions.
Unlike the consumer-grade dynamic NFC tags on the
market today, the AS3956 is ideally suited to:
industrial and Internet of Things (IoT) applications
exposed to harsh operating conditions, including
extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 125°C;
products requiring an extended operating lifetime,
such as HVAC equipment, hearing aids, and wireless
sensors for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and
utilities. The AS3956’s internal EEPROM memory is
rated for a minimum 100,000 program/erase cycles,
and offers 10 years’ data retention at 125°C;
mission-critical products that require a zero failure rate;
The AS3956 includes various features that give
the designer flexibility in implementing NFC-based
applications. These include the provision of both an
I2C and an SPI interface to a host microcontroller, and
a wide supply voltage range of 1.65V-5.5V.
In basic operation, the AS3956 acts as a stand-alone
Type 2 tag conforming to the NFC Forum standards
and supporting NFC communication with a reader. In
addition, either of two data-transfer modes for host
controller communication can be selected:
ExtendedMode, a self-timed data transfermechanism
using standard Type 2 tag commands, thus minimizing
software overhead on the host controller
Tunneling Mode to implement ISO14443A Level 4
PICC emulation in line with EMVCo requirements or
custom protocols
The AS3956 includes an energy-harvesting capability,
drawing energy from the incoming RF field generated by
an NFC reader, and supplying up to 5mA to an external
device. Energy harvesting is particularly useful as a cost
effective, small footprint alternative to standard wireless
charging, to extend battery lifetime in biometric smart
cards, or to implement fully passive wireless sensing
solutions, as required for example in smart insulin pens.
“Previous generations of general purpose NFC dynamic
tags have not offered the reliability and flexibility that
many applications require. The AS3956 offers far
superior lifetime performance. The rigorous quality
processes and numerous validation tests put in place
by ams will give customers confidence that the AS3956
can cope with operation in harsh or extreme conditions
and still maintain unimpaired RF, interface and memory
functions,” said Giancarlo Cutrignelli, Head of Marketing
for Wireless Sensor Nodes at ams.
ams provides the AS3956 in a miniature chip-scale
package (CSP) just 0.3mm high, and with a 1.8mm
x 1.4mm footprint as well as in a 3mm x 3mm MLPD
package. It is available for sampling now. Unit pricing is
$0.53 in an order quantity of 1,000 units.
A demonstration kit is available from the ams ICdirect
online store. For sample requests or for more technical
information, go to
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