NXP, Toppan Develop NFC Module for ThinkPad Laptops

European analog and mixed-signal semiconductor supplier NXP Semiconductors (News - Alert), and Toppan Forms, a leading information management solution provider, have jointly announced the development of a near field communication reader / writer module. This NFC module, labeled TN33MUE002L, has been adopted by Lenovo (News - Alert) in three ThinkPad laptop models for the global market: the T410, T510 and W510. According to the developers, the NFC module can be used to support a variety of applications, including online banking, e-commerce, e-government online access and secure log-in for PCs.

 

The module utilizes NXP's PN533 NFC IC, a highly integrated transmission module for contactless communication at 13.56 MHz including a microcontroller, and Toppan's expertise in hardware and driver software driver.

 

This module is compatible with open standard cards, which are used worldwide in many banking, government and public deployments, such as e-passports and Japanese drivers licenses. In addition, it is also compatible with the leading contactless smart cards in the market today; like the MIFARE used in Europe and Japan's FeliCa.

 

According to NXP, the module utilizes a PC/SC conformant driver and is compatible with existing PC/SC applications, allowing it to integrate seamlessly into most existing security and payment applications. The reader is Windows Certified and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Also, the module driver is available through Toppan Forms' NFC Software Development Kit for PC/SC. This software allows developers to produce contactless card-enabled applications much faster and with greater flexibility.

 

In a released statement, Katsuhiko Moriyama, general manager, Toppan Forms, said, "With the launch of this ground-breaking module, Toppan Forms plans to expand its NFC reader/writer business to become the de-facto standard in the computer industry. We anticipate that the introduction of NFC readers to PCs will help NFC technology to mature and rapidly capture a much wider consumer base. In addition to the PC market, we are now turning our attention to other applications such as cell phones and consumer electronics devices, which can also benefit greatly from many of NFC's features."

 

Similarly, NXP's Henri Ardevol, general manager secure transactions, added, "This is a significant project in which we are deploying NFC reader infrastructure into the PC environment. The expansion of NFC into these kinds of platforms will provide exciting new possibilities for consumers to experience secure transactions on their PC, such as authentication of payments, secure online banking and a range of government services."

 

Operating at 13.56 MHz and transferring data at up to 424 kbits per second, NFC provides intuitive, simple, and safe communication between electronic devices. It is both a "read" and "write" technology.