STMicroelectronics ST53G system-in-package for contactless payment with wearables

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STMicroelectronics is delivering technology for easy and secure contactless transactions using wearables such as wristbands, watches and jewellery. The ST53G system-in-package solution combines the company’s expertise in near-field communication (NFC) and secure-transaction chips.

As consumers become increasingly comfortable with making secure transactions using their smart devices, card manufacturers want to extend their offers into contactless wearable products for uses such as payments, ticketing and access control. These can be difficult to implement within tight size and cost constraints, because conventional separate NFC-radio and security chips demand extra space and complicate design. In addition, wearable form factors reduce the options to small antennas that can restrict communication performance.

ST’s ST53G system-in-package overcomes these barriers by combining a miniaturised and enhanced NFC radio with a secure banking chip in one compact 4 x 4 mm module. The company’s boostedNFC technology allows wearables with small antennas to deliver a good user experience when interacting with card readers over typical contactless distances.

The simplicity of the all-in-one module helps card manufacturers to quickly introduce functional and attractive wearables that can range from fashion items to one-time devices like event wristbands. ST offers an extensive development ecosystem, including radio-tuning tools and predefined antenna configurations. The ST53G meets all relevant card-industry standards, including EMVCo compliance, ISO/IEC-14443 NFC card emulation and MIFARE ticketing specifications.

The product can host ready-to-use STPay smartcard operating systems and optional VISA/Mastercard/JCB-certified banking applications pre-loaded on the secure microcontroller.

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