AmbiPay is Ambimat Electronics’ smart-card and NFC reader platform — three reader architectures for secure embedded and connected applications. Each one exists for a different reason: one reads at extended range, one fits where nothing else will, and one connects wirelessly to the phone in your hand.
Three reader architectures. One AmbiPay platform.
AmbiPay Secure NFC Reader
Designed for an approximate 7–10 cm NFC reading range.
- Extended NFC reading range, approximately 7–10 cm
- FCC certified
- ISO/IEC 14443 A/B, 15693, 18000-mode 3 and 18092
- Up to five hardware SAM slots
- USB, serial RS-232, SPI and Android OTG
AmbiPay Dual-Interface Reader
Contact and contactless smart-card interfaces in an approximately 5 × 3 cm device.
- Contact + contactless in one reader
- Ultra-compact, approximately 5 × 3 cm
- ISO/IEC 7816 contact interface
- ISO/IEC 14443 A/B, 15693, 18000-mode 3
- JCOP4 secure element with SCP02
AmbiPay Wireless Dual-Interface Reader
Contact and contactless smart-card reading, connected wirelessly to a mobile device.
- Contact + contactless in one reader
- Wireless connection to a phone or tablet
- Companion mobile application by Ambimat
- Mobile-integrated reader architecture
- For hosts that move with the operator
Which AmbiPay reader?
| Secure NFC Reader | Dual-Interface Reader | Wireless Dual-Interface Reader | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary USP | 7–10 cm read range | Ultra-compact size | Wireless mobile connectivity |
| Contact interface | — | Yes | Yes |
| Contactless / NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless mobile link | — | — | Yes |
| Approximate size | 82 × 100 × 15 mm board and antenna | Approx. 5 × 3 cm | On request |
| Security architecture | Up to five hardware SAM slots | JCOP4 secure element, SCP02 | On request |
| FCC certified | Yes | — | — |
| Best fit | Extended-range secure NFC reading | Compact embedded and OEM dual interface | Mobile-connected dual interface |
A dash means the feature is not part of that reader’s positioning. Certification belongs to a specific product in a specific revision tested at a specific time, so it is never carried across the range — the FCC row applies to the Secure NFC Reader only.
AmbiPay Secure NFC Reader
Secure NFC reading at extended range
An FCC-certified secure NFC reader designed for reliable contactless operation with an approximate 7–10 cm reading range for supported cards and credentials. Up to five hardware Secure Access Module slots hold the scheme keys, three status LEDs and a buzzer drive the interaction, and the firmware is upgradable in the field.
It connects to a Windows, macOS or Linux host over USB or serial RS-232, to an Android device over an OTG cable, or directly to another embedded system over SPI.
Reading range
Designed for an NFC reading range of approximately 7–10 cm with supported credentials and suitable operating conditions. Actual range depends on the card or tag, the antenna, orientation, the operating environment and the installation, and is characterised against the actual mechanical design as part of the programme.
| Reading range | Approximately 7–10 cm. Credential, antenna, orientation and installation dependent. |
| Contactless standards | ISO/IEC 14443 Type A and Type B, ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-mode 3, ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC) |
| NFC Forum tags | Types 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B and 5 |
| NFC modes | Reader/writer, peer-to-peer and card emulation, with NFC IP1 and NFC IP2 and Host Card Emulation |
| Card families | The entire MIFARE family — Ultralight, Classic, Plus, DESFire EV1 and EV2 — including MIFARE crypto1, and the Sony FeliCa family |
| Data rates | 106, 212, 424 and 848 kbit/s |
| Security | Up to five hardware SAM slots with secure MIFARE key storage. Tested with MIFARE SAMs from NXP Semiconductor |
| Host interfaces | USB (full speed), serial RS-232, SPI to another embedded system, and Android over OTG |
| Host operating systems | Windows, macOS, Linux and Android |
| Power | USB powered. Flexible DC jack input up to 16 VDC @ 250 mA, or 5 V @ 250 mA over a USB OTG cable |
| Board dimensions | 82.0 × 100.0 × 15.0 mm, main board and antenna together, as documented by Ambimat. A smaller-dimension board has also been built |
| Indicators | Three LEDs and a buzzer |
| Firmware | Field upgradable |
| Certification | FCC certified. The contactless interface is designed to the EMVCo L1 contactless protocol specification with dynamic power control. Contactless payment approval is a per-product, per-deployment certification exercise |
Suitable for ticketing, transit and automated fare-collection reader integrations, physical access control including high-security doors, self-service terminals and kiosks, gaming devices, embedded reader systems, industrial terminals, OEM equipment and payment-terminal integration.
AmbiPay Dual-Interface Reader
Contact + contactless, in an ultra-compact form factor
A very compact reader that combines a contact smart-card interface and a contactless smart-card interface in a single device, in a form factor of approximately 5 × 3 cm. It is built for designs where both interfaces are required but panel or enclosure volume is the binding constraint.
A single CT slot lets the contact and contactless interfaces communicate simultaneously, and an attached JCOP4 secure element holds the keys and runs SCP02 authentication against the card presented to the reader — a secure-element architecture rather than the SAM-slot one the Secure NFC Reader uses.
| Form factor | Ultra-compact, approximately 5 × 3 cm |
| Contact interface | ISO/IEC 7816. Class A, Class B and Sony FeliCa, with synchronous card support |
| Slot architecture | Single CT slot, allowing the contact and contactless interfaces to communicate simultaneously |
| Contactless standards | ISO/IEC 14443 Type A and Type B, ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-mode 3 |
| NFC Forum tags | Types 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B and 5, with NFC IP1 and NFC IP2 |
| Card families | MIFARE crypto and the entire MIFARE and Sony families of contactless cards |
| Data rates | 106 to 848 kbit/s |
| Security | Attached JCOP4 secure element for key storage, running SCP02 authentication of the presented card. Tested with MIFARE SAMs from NXP Semiconductor |
| Host interfaces | Various host communication protocols supported on request |
| EMVCo | The contactless interface is designed to the EMVCo L1 contactless protocol specification |
Suitable for embedded and OEM reader integration, access control, authentication and identification, smart-card systems, self-service terminals and kiosks, industrial terminals, payment-terminal integration and space-constrained panel or desktop installations.
AmbiPay Wireless Dual-Interface Reader
Dual-interface smart-card reading, connected wirelessly to mobile devices
A contact and contactless smart-card reader whose host is a mobile phone or tablet rather than a fixed terminal. It connects to the mobile device wirelessly, so the reader can go where the operator goes instead of where the cabling is.
Ambimat developed both the reader and a companion mobile application for it, so the phone-side integration is part of the platform rather than the integrator’s problem.
Three separate things, kept separate
Contact interface
A contact smart-card interface, on the device.
Contactless interface
A contactless and NFC smart-card interface, on the same device.
Wireless host interface
The link to the phone or tablet. Not a card interface — the host connection.
Suitable for mobile credential systems, field and mobile point-of-service, inspection and enforcement, mobile identification and authentication, assisted service where the operator carries a phone or tablet, and access control at locations without fixed terminal infrastructure.
Interface standards, security architecture, power and certification for this reader are confirmed per programme rather than carried over from the other two readers — tell us what the deployment needs and we will confirm exactly what the current hardware does.
Where AmbiPay readers are used
Access control and identification
Door and high-security access, authentication and credential systems where a contactless or contact credential has to be read and the keys that authenticate it held securely.
Ticketing and transit
Ticketing, transit and automated fare-collection reader integrations, where the ticket is a contactless credential and the reader settles the interaction against the operator’s own back-office system.
Self-service and unattended terminals
Kiosks, self-service terminals, gaming devices and industrial terminals that need a reliable card read as part of a larger unattended machine.
Embedded and OEM equipment
USB and serial NFC readers, dual-interface smart-card readers and OEM equipment that needs a contactless or dual-interface front end designed into it.
What AmbiPay is, and what it is not
AmbiPay is reader hardware and the engineering that integrates it. Ambimat designs and builds the device that reads the card or the phone and hands a secured credential onward. The gateway, the acquirer, the merchant systems and the fare-management back office that authorise and settle a transaction are the operator’s own or a third party’s — Ambimat is not a payment gateway, an acquirer, a payment processor or a fare-management back end.
Certification follows the same logic. Contactless interfaces are engineered to the relevant ISO and EMVCo Level 1 protocol specifications, but a compliance mark belongs to a specific product in a specific revision, tested at a specific time. Ambimat will tell you exactly what evidence exists for the hardware you are actually considering rather than carrying historical marks forward onto a new build, and will run the applicable certification path as part of the programme.
AmbiPay readers are designed in India and built through Ambimat’s manufacturing and partner ecosystem, which is also where the engineering support for a deployment sits.
AmbiPay or AmbiTap?
Both are Ambimat contactless platforms, and they answer different questions. They are complementary, not alternatives. A useful way to start is with the credential. If the product only has to read an identifier, the reader subsystem is the whole requirement. If it has to authenticate a credential against protected keys, the reader also needs somewhere to hold those keys. Neither choice makes an application secure on its own — the credential family, the host firmware, the key management and the backend still decide that.
AmbiTap
For an OEM that already has its own host MCU or processor and principally needs the contactless reader subsystem: a compact NXP CLRC663-based module to localise into a product whose control logic you already own.
AmbiPay
For applications that need a complete reader — extended reading range, a contact interface alongside the contactless one, a secure element or SAM slots, or a wireless link to a mobile host.
Frequently asked questions
How many AmbiPay readers are there?
Three: the AmbiPay Secure NFC Reader, the AmbiPay Dual-Interface Reader and the AmbiPay Wireless Dual-Interface Reader. Each exists for a different reason — extended reading range, ultra-compact dual interface, and wireless mobile connectivity respectively.
What reading range does the Secure NFC Reader achieve?
It is designed for an NFC reading range of approximately 7 to 10 cm with supported credentials and suitable operating conditions. NFC range is not a fixed number: it depends on the card or tag, the antenna, orientation, the environment and the installation, so it is characterised against the actual mechanical design.
Which readers have a contact smart-card interface?
The AmbiPay Dual-Interface Reader and the AmbiPay Wireless Dual-Interface Reader. The Secure NFC Reader is a contactless reader with hardware SAM slots for key material.
How does the Wireless Dual-Interface Reader connect to a phone?
Wirelessly, with a companion mobile application that Ambimat developed alongside the reader. The specific wireless technology is confirmed per programme rather than stated generically here.
Which contactless standards do the readers work to?
ISO/IEC 14443 Type A and B, ISO/IEC 15693 and ISO/IEC 18000-mode 3 across the range, with ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC) on the Secure NFC Reader, full NFC Forum tag support and the MIFARE and Sony FeliCa card families. Support varies by reader, so confirm it against the specific product.
How is key material protected?
It depends on the reader. The Secure NFC Reader takes up to five hardware Secure Access Module slots, which is what most transit and access schemes need. The Dual-Interface Reader holds its keys in an attached JCOP4 secure element and runs SCP02 authentication against the presented card. Why the location of the key matters at all is set out in why reading an RFID UID is not authentication.
Is AmbiPay a payment gateway?
No. AmbiPay is reader hardware — the device that captures the credential. Authorisation and settlement sit with the operator’s gateway, acquirer and back-office systems.
Can a reader be customised?
That is the normal case. Antenna, enclosure, host interface, indicators and secure-element or SAM configuration are set per deployment, and Ambimat’s involvement usually runs from the device through to host integration.
Talk to the engineering team
Tell us what has to be read, where the reader has to sit and which scheme’s credentials and keys it has to work with, and we will tell you which AmbiPay reader fits and what it would take.
Related Ambimat engineering
AmbiPay draws on the same disciplines as the rest of the estate: hardware design, manufacturing, assembly and testing, embedded software services, and electronic manufacturing services. See all Ambimat products, or the compact AmbiTap NFC reader module.