NFC Antenna Design
OBJECTIVES 2
1. Antenna design preparation
2. How to design an Antenna on a PCB
3. ST Antenna Design Tools
4. Metal Considerations
5. Contactless measurement methods
3
Antenna design preparation
Simplified equivalent inlay circuit 4
RFID/ NFC Tags extract all of their power from the Reader field!
• The chip and its antenna can be symbolized..
By using its equivalent electrical circuit
Rchip = Chip resistance Lant = Antenna Inductance
Cchip = Internal Chip capacitance Rant = Antenna resistance (wire)
Cant = Antenna capacitance (parasitic)
In first order equations Rant, Cant and Rchip are negligable!
Optimum antenna tuning 5
The total impedance of an LC loop is given by the sum of …
1
Z = ZL + ZC -> Z = j ωL +
jω C
Extracting a common denominator yields:
ω²)
(1− LC
Z = -> LCω² = 1
jωC
• The total impedance Z is zero at the resonance frequency of the LC circuit
• The resonant frequency corresponds to the maximum current received by
LC Loop
• fR Tag should be aligned with fR Reader!
Optimum antenna tuning 6
Example:
On this following, we have the resonance curves of Tag #1, Tag #2 and Tag #3…..
Which of the Tags is the best tuned for this application?
7
How to design an Antenna
on a PCB
How to design an Antenna on a PCB 8
Designing an inductive antenna is about impedance matching!
The antenna impedance must match the Chip impedance!
A 13,56 MHz Antenna can be designed with different shapes…
Depending on the application requirements!
The major parameter is the inductance L of the antenna
Depending on the Antenna shape!
Examples :
Inductance of a circular antenna:
Inductance of a spiral antenna:
Inductance of a rectangle antenna:
-> for detailed Info to Antenna inductances, please refer to the AN2972!
How to design an Antenna on a PCB 9
Example:
In this example, the selected device is a M24LR Dynamic NFC Tag and should be
implemented into a PCB.
The initial design target for the antenna is:
• Dimensions: 45x75 mm
• Frequency tuning target: 13,6 MHz
How to design an Antenna on a PCB 10
Procedure
1. Chose the capacitance of the M24LRxx -> 29 pF
-> tuning the antenna in an real application environment, AN3249!
1
2. Determine the objective inductance Lant = = 4.7 µH
2𝜫𝑥13,6 𝑀𝐻𝑧 2 𝑥 29 𝑝𝐹
3. Define the Antenna’s Dimensions -> 45x75 mm
4. Define a test Matrix and take the calculated Lant value with ± 5%
With the help of ST Design Tools
5. Characterization of antenna coil samples
With the help of a network analyzer or standard laboratory tools
6. Determine the best coil prototype!
-> for detailed Info to Antenna design procedure, please refer to the AN2866!
11
ST Antenna Design Tools
eDesign Suite 12
The smart way to design your application!
Sum up 14
The major parameter is the inductance L of the antenna
What are the other parameters, which affect fR of the Tag?
• Antenna dimensions (Length x Width, Diameter)
• The number of turns
• The number of segments
• The conductor width
• The conductor gap
• The conductor thickness
15
Metal considerations
Metal Considerations 16
What happens when there is metal near the antenna?
It detunes its own resonance frequency!
How does this changes affect the Tag performance?
The metal environment…
• Induces eddy current
• Modifies the field strength
• Decreases the quality factor
Metal Considerations 17
How to avoid this effect?
Compensation of the tuning frequency for future shift!
Redesign of a new antenna for the new application!
Features ANT1-M24LR16E ANT1-M24LR16E
74pF parallel of the antenna
Antenna size 45 x75 mm 45 x75 mm
f0 in the air 13,7 MHz 7,5 MHz
f0 tuning stuck on the 25MHz 14 MHz
metal
Read range open air 7,5 cm 0,5 cm
Read range close to No detection 2,5 cm
metal
Status Tuned to operate in Tuned to operate on
open air metal
18
Contactless measurement
methods
Measurement methods 19
Prototype verification with an analyzer
• The RF electromagnetic field is generated by a loop probe (S11 measurement)
Antenna measurements with standard laboratory tools
ANT2
ANT1
To provide RF Field
-> for detailed Info to Antenna design procedure, please refer to the AN2866!
