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ST25 NFC Reader+Tag

Overview
Integration
Use cases
Products
Ecosystem
Resources
 

With the rising demand from end consumers for products offering exciting new features and an innovative user experience, businesses need to develop cutting-edge solutions to stay ahead of trends and set themselves apart from competition. Nowadays, consumers expect everyday products to be easy to use and to offer seamless connectivity with smart devices.

To answer these market needs, ST provides NFC readers and tags from the ST25 series, which can be implemented together to design an advanced, integrated NFC Reader+Tag solution. This well-matched combination offers an extensive feature set and enables use cases like accessory recognition, brand protection, parameter setting, and more. Because this solution allows manufacturers to easily add NFC connectivity to their existing product, it is ideal for them to design a new upgraded version at a low cost.

nfc tag reader video
NFC Reader+Tag with ST25: Raising user experience to a new level

Discover, how integrating the NFC Reader+Tag solution lets you upgrade your product with innovative features, new ways of user interaction, and connectivity to smart devices.

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How to integrate ST's NFC Reader+Tag solution in your application

The products that can benefit from ST’s Reader+Tag solution usually consist of a main unit and additional accessories, such as consumables or batteries, and depend on these components working together efficiently as an integrated system. The Reader+Tag solution enhances and extends this technical interaction by enabling new features and use cases.

nfc tag and reader ST25 NFC reader ST25T NFC tag ST25D Dynamic tag >

The NFC reader, which is placed inside the main unit, connects with the NFC tags or Dynamic tag included in the product peripherals. The small-sized tags can be powered via energy harvesting and can easily be integrated in electronic and non-electronic devices. Connecting the NFC readers and tags with smart devices and the internet via an MCU for cloud services is possible, depending on the product design

From theory to practice

The ST25 Reader+Tag solution is already widely deployed in the market. Products in beauty, home, healthcare and many other industries benefit from NFC use cases with ST25, bringing added value to consumers, but also to product manufactures and designers.

Here are some examples of existing use cases implementing the Reader+Tag solution.

power tools with the reader tag solution

Power Tools with the Reader+Tag solution

Implementing a Reader+Tag solution in power tools, such as drills, grinders and pressure washers, enhances user experience and increases product safety and reliability.

Accessory recognition triggers an automatic adjustment of the tool’s settings, such as its torque or rotational speed, depending on the mounted drill head.

Product authentication and brand recognition can also be implemented to prevent the usage of low-quality or hazardous batteries, or other non-suitable accessories.

Data logging and tracking enable better insights into how the tool is actually used and help improve inventory management through NFC-enabled check-in/check-out processes and condition monitoring.

power tools with the reader tag solution

Personal Care Products with the Reader+Tag solution

The implementation of the Reader+Tag solution in toothbrushes, shavers, and similar devices, brings additional benefits to consumers.

NFC connectivity takes consumer engagement to the next level and provides new ways for customers to interact with their product. By scanning the NFC tag embedded in their toothbrush using their smartphone, customers can easily find out more on the product specifications, but also re-order brush heads or other consumables in a few seconds.

The authentication and recognition of the NFC tags on the used toothbrush heads also prevents the use of counterfeit products.

personal care products with the reader tag solution
home appliances with the reader tag solution

Home appliances with the Reader+Tag solution

Using the Reader+Tag solution in a home appliance like an air purifier allows manufacturers to gain new and valuable insights into how consumers use their product (in an anonymous way), with the aim of improving ease-of-use and the overall user experience.

Monitoring the condition of the consumables used and sending a reminder when it is time to replace them with new ones – which can be ordered via a simple tap with the smartphone – are other new benefits for end users, as they contribute to making their daily lives easier.

home appliances with the reader tag solution

ST25 NFC readers and tags product portfolio

ST offers well-matched NFC readers and NFC tags with a variety of features and performance, from entry-level and cost-effective solutions, to high-end products.

ST25R NFC reader

ST25 NFC tags

ST25TV (Type 5) and ST25TN (Type 2) NFC tags are ideally suited for Reader+Tag applications.
Dynamic NFC tags, such as the ST25DV, are designed for use cases requiring connectivity to the microcontroller in an accessory.

Leverage our ecosystem for a fast development and rapid prototyping

Starting an NFC design from scratch is not always easy. ST offers a complete ecosystem of software, hardware, and design tools, which will help you move forward with your design, from idea to final product.

step 1

Choose your development kit

Learn about NFC technology & ST25 products

Discover NFC technology and test the capabilities and features of the ST25 NFC reader and tags.

The ST25 discovery kits, such as the STEVAL-25R200SA, offer a quick and simple way to evaluate NFC hardware. They come with a graphical user interface (GUI) to make the first performance tests easier.

ST25 tag bags include NFC tags in different shapes and sizes and will provide you with ideas on how to implement NFC in your products. ST provides different versions, such as the ST25-TAG-BAG-UI1 and ST25-TAG-BAG-EC.

nfc development kit
step 2

Start your development

Create Proof-of-Concept designs and prototypes

Take the next step in your development and use ST25 Nucleo shields to go further in your product evaluation and design application-specific software.

Shields such as the X-NUCLEO-NFC10A1 provide full access to all the readers’ features and can be used with the STM32 and STM8 ecosystem of Nucleo boards for software development. X-CUBE-NFC10 software expansion for STM32Cube environment and additional code examples and libraries are available as well.

nfc development board
step 3

Build your product with ST25 Reader+Tag

Finalize your design and bring your product to life

To quickly integrate the ST25 Reader+Tag in your product, use our antenna design suite STSW-ST25R004 and other support tools to finalize your development.

Reach out to the ST25 online community, ask questions and find the answers you need to move forward with your project, step by step.

nfc reader antenna design nfc community forum
step 4

Bring your product to market!

You will need

Choose your development kit
Start your development
Build your product