The NFC standard has recently gained significant traction among mobile devices for secure short-range communication at points of sale and access control points. Melexis pioneered this technology for electronic key (Entry-and-Go) and passive keyless entry (PKE) solutions in cars with the introduction of its MLX90132 NFC transceiver IC. The evolution of wireless charging is accelerating rapidly, and the WCT-5WTXAUTO reference design, jointly developed by Melexis and Freescale, combines the best features of both technologies. Melexis collaborates with automotive suppliers on the integration and deployment of NFC solutions in cars for applications such as automatic connection of mobile devices to the multimedia center (e.g., Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) and automatic user identification and download of personal settings. NFC technology can also be used for access control and ignition, allowing NFC-enabled devices to act as the "key" for entering and starting a vehicle. This reliance on a wireless lifestyle makes it more important than ever that devices, whether smartphones or tablets, remain fully charged. Wireless charging installed in homes, cars, businesses, and public spaces is the clear solution. Combining wireless charging and NFC enables new capabilities and functions.
 
This reference design is initially aimed at in-car dashboard applications. The demanding requirements of any electronic system installed in the passenger compartment include EMC, RFI, and EMI across various frequency bands and power levels. The reference design, jointly developed by Melexis and Freescale, demonstrates the feasibility of achieving a road-ready result. This design is based on the Melexis MLX90132 NFC transceiver IC and the Freescale MWCT1003AVLH controller IC.
 
The reference design includes all the necessary hardware and software drivers for fully autonomous operation of the wireless charging subsystem, controlled via a standard NFC Controller Interface (NCI). Coexistence is managed on the hardware side through careful antenna design and on the software side with a dedicated control interface. The system can operate completely autonomously or be controlled by superior, standard NFC software stacks (e.g., Stollmann's NFCStack+).
 
Beyond the automotive environment, the reference design is also ideal for a wide variety of markets based on personal terminals that require a combination of secure identification and payment, as well as battery charging. This includes, for example, information and advertising points in waiting rooms, restaurants, and wireless docking stations.

More information or a quote