Description

ST21NFCA

4/6

1.1

Firmware description

The ST21NFCA is a system on chip solution able to be compliant with NFC communication

system embedded in a mobile phone.

The firmware is developed in several modules:

●

Host Controller Interface based on the ETSI specification managing the gates related

to the different protocols, the pipe between gates, the power management system, etc.

●

The Operating System (OS) is the core of the system responsible for dispatching

commands to the Host Controller Interface.

●

The Switch Mode module manages the operating modes and the switching between all

RF modes.

●

Low-level drivers including:

–

ISO/IEC 7816 in Master mode

–

SPI in Slave mode

–

SWP in Master mode

–

RF drivers for all vicinity and proximity standards in Card Emulation and Reader

modes

●

Low-level contact and contactless I/O protocols:

–

T=0 and T=1 as defined in the ISO/IEC 7816 specification

–

T=CL as defined in the ISO/IEC 14443-A,-B specification

–

SHDLC as defined in the ETSI SWP specification

Figure 3.

Firmware architecture overview

Host Controller Interface

OS and Switch Mode Module

SPI

Slave

Driver

I²C

Slave

Driver

SWP

Master

Driver

ISO 7816

Master

Driver

RF ISO/IEC 14443 A B

RF ISO/IEC 15693

RF ECMA 340

Card Emulation and Reader modes

Driver

I²C/SPI

RF Antenna

UICC

SWP

Secure

Element

SWP

Master