- The NFC Forum has noted that those who own and sell NFC products should not have to apply for new certification with the NFC Forum each time the software is updated.
- The feature should make OS updates more seamless for NFC reader devices.
NFC products that undergo software updates can achieve NFC Forum certification with a streamlined process. Called the Inheritance by OS update in the NFC Forum Certification Program, it enables product designers and managers to ensure compliance throughout the lifecycle of their product in a more efficient and affordable way.
Certification from the NFC standards organization is not mandatory. But to achieve such certification for hardware and software for an NFC product, manufacturers, vendors and users have an endorsement that the product will operate seamlessly. The forum wanted to remove obstacles to keeping certification up to date, so it has added a feature to its V3.1 program so that the operating system of an existing NFC Forum-certified product does not require recertification.
Accessible for both members of the forum and non-members alike, the NFC Forum Certification Program exists for the betterment of the entire NFC ecosystem, said Mike McCamon, NFC Forum’s executive director. Companies with an NFC product can go to the NFC Forum Certification Program and apply to re-certify the product.
Staying Up to Date with OS
Products often undergo operating system (OS) upgrades and that software change will not impact the certification. Device manufacturers can maintain their NFC Forum Certification status by filling out a form on the NFC Forum site, indicating their certified device has been upgraded. NFC Forum has been offering certification to products that use the passive 13.56 MHz transmission since about 2017. Those products that gain NFC Forum Certification can be displayed on the forum’s website.
Generally, NFC Forum Certification is divided into two types of tests: Analog to test the Hardware and Digital for the NFC-based software changes. When a device in the field receives an OS update, it is only the software that is changed. The hardware certification—the antenna and tuning components—still remains the same.
This V3.1 extension creates an additional more efficient route for engineers and product managers to retain their certification when updating the OS using a three-step process.
Three Steps to Recertify
First, the developer fills in a new Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS) or Implementation eXtra Information for Testing (IXIT) form. That is followed by a signed attestation to confirm that the hardware implementation contains no modifications from the Certified Implementation.
The device inherits its certification for any unchanged implementations and only requires new testing on the impacted test cases identified.
Ultimately, this allows devices to be continuously refined and updated, while ensuring they continue to work as expected and deliver the optimal user experience throughout their entire lifecycle. “We strongly recommend device manufacturers take advantage of this new path to keep their NFC Forum Certification valid in the most cost and time efficient way possible,” said McCamon.
The process is accessible for both members of the Forum and non-members to ensure that NFC products operate with each other.
Ensuring Interoperability
Certification is a way to ensure their operability and interoperability, McCamon said, “We’ve tried to streamline our certification program for a variety of different use cases.”
NFC devices are in use for access control in the automotive industry, and increasingly for residences. However, the engineering in a certified door handle, would not be in question when there is an update to the software.
“We think interoperability is so important we want to make it as simple as possible for people that have to go through this certification process whether it’s through the product or the manufacturer,” he said.
The certification programs are flexible related to testing for a device class. For instance, an NFC-based door lock would not need Wi-Fi connectivity to earn its certification. If a device manufacturer added other technology to enable access via Bluetooth or UWB, that might require updating the OS, but wouldn’t affect the function of the NFC radio.
The Case for Certification
Appliance manufacturers are building NFC technology into wirelessly poweringother devices. As the product evolves over its lifetime to include other technologies, if software needs to be updated the Forum provides a convenient path for them to recertify. When it comes to NFC for automotive use there may be auto manufacturers that will only buy products unless they’re certified.
“Our philosophy here is not to mandate certification; it’s to use it as a differentiator,” McCamon said. “In the long term, certification is going to be a good idea for them to ensure consistency in the behavior of their devices, set the foundation for interoperability and deliver enhanced user experiences.”
As devices are upgraded to accommodate other technologies, “I would assume some of those companies could use this inheritance by operating system path they’re not changing the NFC functionality, they’re just adding software,” he added.