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. The reader captures the credential and hands it to the host system that authorises it — Ambimat is not a payment gateway or an acquirer. AmbiPay readers are designed in India and built through Ambimat’s manufacturing and partner ecosystem.
The same reader is designed to be integrated inside the host product’s own enclosure — EV charge points, access-control terminals, parking systems, kiosks, smart lockers and vending machines — and hands each credential to that host over its documented host interface. The host system makes the decision: open the door, start the charging session, release the locker.
Key Features:
- Extended NFC reading range: approximately 7–10 cm
- FCC Certified
- ISO/IEC 14443 Type A and B, ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-mode 3 and ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC)
- Up to five hardware SAM slots with secure MIFARE key storage
- USB, serial RS-232, SPI and Android OTG host options
- Field-upgradable firmware
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.
Areas of Application:
- EV charge-point reader integration, mounted inside the charge point’s own enclosure
- Physical access control such as high-security doors
- Parking systems
- Self-service terminals and kiosks
- Smart lockers
- Vending and other unattended terminals
- Payment-terminal integration
- Ticketing and transit reader integrations
- Gaming devices
- USB NFC readers and embedded reader systems
- Industrial terminals and OEM equipment
- Identification and credential systems
Communication with Host devices:
- Supports RS-232 and USB interfaces for Windows, macOS and Linux based systems
- Connects to an Android device using an OTG cable
- Connects with other embedded devices over SPI communication
Key Features for the contactless interface:
- Supports all data communication speeds from 106 kbits/s to 848 kbit/s.
- Full NFC Forum tag support (type 1, type 2, type 3, type 4A, type 4B and type 5)
- ISO/IEC 14443 type A and type B compliant, ISO/IEC 15693, and ISO/IEC 18000-mode 3
- ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC)
- Support for MIFARE crypto1
- Support for the entire MIFARE and Sony family of contactless cards – Ultralight, Classic, Plus, DESFire EV1, EV2, and Felica products as well.
- Built-in Low-power card detection mode
- Built-in Dynamic Power Control (DPC)
- Support for Host Card Emulation to communicate over NFC with mobile payment devices.
- Engineered for OEM products intended to undergo EMVCo Level 1 contactless approval. No EMVCo approval is claimed for this reader; contactless payment approval is a per-product, per-deployment certification exercise.
- NFC IP1 and NFC IP2 support.
- P2P active and passive, target and initiator
Security:
- Out of the box support for up to 5 hardware Secure Access Modules (SAMs)
- Secure MIFARE key storage
- Device has been tested with Mifare SAMs from NXP Semiconductor
Physical and Power:
- 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.
- Three LEDs and a buzzer
- USB powered
- Flexible power supply input using a DC jack up to 16VDC @250mA
- Using a USB OTG cable up to 2-3 meters from an Android device which can provide a constant supply of 5V @ 250mA
Certification:
FCC Certified. Certification is tied to a specific product and revision. Ambimat will confirm exactly what current evidence exists for the hardware under discussion, rather than carrying an older device’s marks onto a new build. Where included in the agreed project scope, Ambimat can coordinate engineering activities and support the customer’s certification process with the relevant accredited laboratory or approval body. Certification and approval remain the responsibility of the applicable programme participants and authorities.
The rest of the AmbiPay range:
- AmbiPay Dual-Interface Reader — contact and contactless smart-card interfaces in an approximately 5 × 3 cm device.
- AmbiPay Wireless Dual-Interface Reader — contact and contactless smart-card reading, connected wirelessly to a mobile device.
- The AmbiPay family — all three readers compared side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is AmbiPay?
AmbiPay is Ambimat’s family of complete contactless readers for OEM integration. Ambimat supplies a finished reader, and the NFC reader software runs inside it rather than on your host.
When should an OEM choose AmbiPay instead of AmbiTap?
When you do not want your host application team integrating and maintaining an NFC front-end software stack. AmbiTap is an NFC front-end module whose reader stack runs on your host MCU or processor; an AmbiPay reader carries that stack in its own firmware. The axis is where the NFC complexity lives, not price. Choose AmbiPay for the more integrated reader path; choose AmbiTap when your team owns the host-side NFC integration and wants the module itself.
What does the host integrate with an AmbiPay reader?
The reader’s host interface and protocol, rather than the NFC layer beneath it. Neither route is “no integration”: with an AmbiPay reader the host still implements the reader’s communications and protocol.
Which AmbiPay reader suits contactless-only requirements?
The AmbiPay Secure NFC Reader. It is the extended-range contactless reader, with an approximate 7–10 cm reading range, up to five hardware SAM slots for scheme keys, and USB, serial RS-232, SPI or Android OTG host options.
Which AmbiPay reader suits dual-interface requirements?
The AmbiPay Dual-Interface Reader, which provides a contact ISO/IEC 7816 interface alongside the contactless interface in an approximately 5 × 3 cm device. Its host protocol is agreed per programme.
Can an AmbiPay reader be used in an EV charger?
Yes, as the credential-reading element that authorises a session, mounted inside the charge point’s own enclosure. No environmental rating is claimed for any AmbiPay reader, so outdoor, kerbside or exposed mounting is not claimed.
Does the reader implement OCPP or ISO 15118?
No. The reader presents and authenticates the credential. The charge point’s own controller performs session authorisation, metering and back-office messaging, including any OCPP or ISO 15118 behaviour. Our guide to choosing an RFID reader for an EV charger works through the AmbiPay-or-AmbiTap choice for an EVSE.
