Antenna Designs for NFC Devices

Dominique Paret

• Publisher: Wiley-ISTE
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781848218413
• eBook ISBN: 9781119145325
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Near-field communication (NFC) enables the exchange of information between close devices.

The antenna is the indispensable element to transform an electronic device into an NFC system. For both theory and practice, this book presents in detail the design technologies of different antennas. They must meet the NFC ISO 18 092 and 21 481 standards as well as specifications by the NFC Forum for industrial applications, by EMVCo for banking applications and payments, and by CEN for public transport.

In a particularly pedagogic way, Antenna Designs for NFC Devices enables designers of communicating object systems and the Internet of Things (IoT) to have access to the mysteries of the design of NFC antennas.

PART 1
Context

Introduction to Part 1

To transform any given system into a near-field communication (NFC) system, on paper, we only need an integrated circuit, some miniature passive components (R, L and C – resistance, inductance and capacitance) and an antenna. This is the theory. In reality, this migration is far more complex because, in view of the vast field of application of NFC, there are numerous constraints that need to be dealt with, respected and satisfied in order to render the final solution viable and reliable.

Although this first part of the book is an introduction, it encapsulates numerous technical points which are important to know in order to truly appreciate the applicational problems of today’s world, as well as tomorrow’s, specifically in terms of the antennas for these devices. Overall, it is an introductory recap: one which is absolutely crucial for readers to orientate themselves and to understand this book. It is divided into two chapters:

• – Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of the constraints to which NFC systems and the connected problems that are directly associated therewith;
• – Chapter 2 offers a brief recap of some fundamental physical laws governing the working of NFC.

It is now for you, the readers, to discover all this for yourselves.

1
Recap of the Constraints Governing the Design of Antennas for an NFC Device

In the interest of understanding, let us begin with a few terms of the vocabulary specific to the norms and/or standards of radio frequency identification (RFID), contactless and near-field communication (NFC).

Table 1.1 offers a few examples of jargon applied in different fields of application.

Table 1.1. ISO terminology for the main contactless transmitters and responders

ISO group		Transmitter	Responder
		Base station	Target/transponder
		Reader	Card
		Modem
		Coupler	Badge
SC 17 WG8	Proximity cards and personal devices	PCD Proximity coupler device	PICC Proximity integrated circuit card
	Vicinity cards and personal devices	VCD Vicinity coupler device	VICC Vicinity integrated circuit card
SC 31 WG 4	Item management/RFID	Interrogator	Tag
SC 06	NFC	Initiator	Target
		etc.	etc.

In this book, which deals exclusively with NFC (originally developed by the ECMA in Switzerland, and then taken up again by Sub-Committee SC 06 at the ISO in 2000), we will employ only the official ISO terms: “initiator” and “target”. Thus, from this point on, having looked briefly at the principle above, all other terms will be proscribed (or almost).

In the context of NFC applications, this chapter recaps the context, numerous constraints, functional and structural problems relating to the intrinsic content of the NFC protocols and those connected to it, and their direct implications in terms of antennas, which must be dealt with in order to be worthy – in the legal sense (to prevent lawsuits for false advertising) – of the label “Complies with NFC ISO 18092 or 21481 or NFC Forum standard” (in active or passive mode, batteryless or battery-assisted, etc.).

As we will see later on, there are various kinds of such issues.

1.1. Normative constraints

When designing an NFC system and the associated antennas, the technical and protocol constraints needing to be respected are, obviously, the legislational and physical constraints pertaining to the “low layers” 1 and 2 of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model (which are, respectively, the physical and data link/medium access layers), without which the whole setup could never work. As the antenna is part of layer 1 – ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title
• Copyright
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part 1: Context
• Part 2: Methods and Designs for NFC Device Antennas
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index
• End User License Agreement