With the next Certification Release (CR) 11 at the end of June 2017, and the corresponding Test Release (TR) 11.0, the NFC Forum will set the stage for tag certification. This optional certification increases the chances for tag manufacturers that their implementations will be selected by service providers, device manufacturers, and other important integrators.

We at COMPRION have already implemented the TR 11.0 requirements. We expect the validation to be premiered in July. Once it is available, we will inform you immediately.

 

What are the most important changes and extensions of the new TR-11?
 

• Analog and digital test cases for NFC-V
  Test cases for NFC-V tags, based on ISO 15693
   
• Introduction of tag certification testing
  Digital, analog, and application test cases for tag types 2, 3, 4A/B, 5
   
• Introduction of tag performance testing
  Tag performance test cases have been defined by the NFC Forum IoT Special Interest Group (SIG) for tag types 2, 3, 4A/B, 5. They include testing within the conformance operation volume and, in addition, testing within an extended operation volume that was defined explicitly for tag performance test cases.

 

Source: NFC Forum

 

Why has the NFC Forum decided for this change?
 

Up to now, an NFC device needed to implement all modes – reader/writer, peer-to-peer (target and initiator), and card emulation mode – to gain NFC Forum certification. Obviously, this rule prevents many NFC devices from being certified because they do not implement all these modes: Why should a reader/writer implement peer-to-peer mode? Why should a tag support reader/writer capabilities or technologies as NFC-A, NFC-B, NFC-F, and NFC-V? However, the times are changing, and so NFC Forum decided to modify the policy and to enable certification of dedicated devices in the future. This means that a dedicated reader/writer can be certified by NFC Forum as a reader/writer and on the other hand, a tag or a device in card emulation mode can be certified as a tag.

 

Interview with Ralph Kamp about NFC tag certification

 

 

 

Interested in learning more? Contact us at sales(at)comprion.com.

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• NFC Forum
• Tag
• Tag certification