STMicroelectronics, a leading semiconductor maker has announced that its automotive NFC Reader IC (ST25R3914) and its automotive 8-bit microcontroller (STM8AF) have been chosen for the Qi-compliant automotive wireless charging reference design from Rohm.

The contactless communication based on NFC is already used for functions including mobile payment by Smartphone and in recent years, NFC use has been rapidly widening from mobile devices to industrial equipment, IoT devices, and even automotive systems.

The automotive wireless charging module reference design from Rohm, for which they’ve selected STMicroelectronics NFC Reader IC and 8-bit MCU, which is based on the BD57121MUF-M, a Qi-standard 15-W wireless charger IC being developed by Rohm that aims to increase the adoption of wireless charging in the centre console of the vehicle. One benefit of STMicroelectronics technology contribution is to enable the sophisticated control that makes possible the detection of contactless smart cards in proximity to the charging system in order to halt the charging immediately. This important and appreciated function prevents the failure of those cards due to the strong magnetic field generated by the Qi transmitter.

The semiconductor maker says its automotive NFC Reader IC, the ST25R3914, is an AEC-Q100 grade 1 qualified NFC analog front-end device supporting ISO14443A/B, ISO15693, FeliCa, and active P2P. Its offers superior RF performance and its unique Automatic Antenna Tuning function dynamically adopts to the challenging metallic environments make it the perfect fit for automotive applications. It comes with a MISRA-C: 2012-compliant RF middleware which helps to shorten the time required for software development.

The automotive 8-bit MCU, STM8AF, provides high performance, wide-ranging choice for memory size, and many package options, contributing to more flexible automotive systems. The MCU features true data EEPROM, CAN and LIN bus, and high operating temperature support up to 150 degree Celsius. In combination with the NFC function, it can also be used as a controller to manage new automotive NFC applications, such as Bluetooth / Wi-Fi pairings for Smartphones, 'infotainment' using NFC verification, and engine start-up.

Hiroshi Noguchi, Japan country manager, STMicroelectronics, said: “Rohm’s adoption of the ST NFC products and 8-bit microcontroller for their Qi-standard automotive wireless-charging reference design shows that ST’s broad product line-up has big potential for creating new and valuable automotive functions. We anticipate many auto manufacturers will see wireless charging as an important added value that will provide ST with another way to contribute to a more comfortable driving experience for consumers.”