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.
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:
- Physical access control such as high-security doors
- Ticketing, transit and automated fare-collection reader integrations
- Self-service terminals and kiosks
- Gaming devices
- USB NFC readers and embedded reader systems
- Industrial terminals and OEM equipment
- Payment-terminal integration
- 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) as per EMVCo standards
- Support for Host Card Emulation to communicate over NFC with mobile payment devices.
- Designed to the EMVCo ‘L1’ contactless protocol specification. 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 and will run the applicable certification path as part of the programme, rather than carrying an older device’s marks onto a new build.
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.
