nfc

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Aliro is a vendor-agnostic standard for digital access control working over NFC, Bluetooth LE, or UWB

Aliro is a vendor-agnostic standard for digital access control working over NFC, Bluetooth LE, or UWB

Aliro

Managed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, Aliro is a smart lock/access control standard that works over NFC, Bluetooth LE, or UWB and is designed to be vendor-agnostic. While Matter is designed for Smart Home applications, Aliro specifically targets access control, and both aim to address market fragmentation. It was brought to my attention when we wrote about the Nordic nRF54L15 Tag, but we had already mentioned it for chips from other vendors such as STMicro (ST64UWB) and Qualcomm (FastConnect 8800), as well as earlier wireless MCUs from Nordic Semi such as the nRF54LM20A and nRF54LM20B. It appears to be adopted across the industry, so let’s have a closer look. Aliro 1.0 was first released in February 2026 with the following highlights: Leverages existing smartphones and wearables Framework utilizes asymmetric cryptography to ensure secure and trusted interactions between user devices and readers Integration with digital wallets from Apple, Google, Samsung, etc… […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on Coin-cell powered Nordic nRF54L15 Tag prototyping platform supports Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Matter, Edge AI

Coin-cell powered Nordic nRF54L15 Tag prototyping platform supports Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Matter, Edge AI

nRF54L15 Tag front side

Nordic Semiconductor has launched the nRF54L15 Tag, a tiny coin-cell-powered prototyping platform designed to accelerate the development of ultra-low-power wireless IoT devices, including asset trackers compatible with the Apple Find My and Google Find Hub ecosystems. Built around the company’s nRF54L15 wireless SoC, the 33 mm-diameter tag uses a 2.4 GHz radio and includes two on-board antennas to improve distance-measurement reliability with Bluetooth Channel Sounding. The platform also integrates a 6-axis IMU and an environmental sensor, which can be used in tracking, sensing, and basic edge processing applications. Nordic nRF54L15 Tag specifications: Wireless MCU – Nordic Semi nRF54L15 wireless SoC CPU Arm Cortex-M33 @ up to 128 MHz RISC-V coprocessor for “software-defined peripheral” Memory – 256 KB SRAM Storage – 1.5MB Non-volatile Memory (NVM) Wireless Bluetooth LE 6.0 (includes Channel Sounding) Thread, Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4-2020) Matter Amazon Sidewalk Proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols with a new 4 Mbps mode NFC support Aliro (a […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Matter 1.6 specification adds NFC-based commissioning, thermostat suggestions, various core enhancements

Matter 1.6 specification adds NFC-based commissioning, thermostat suggestions, various core enhancements

Matter 1.6

Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has recently released the Matter 1.6 specification with new features such as NFC-based commissioning, Thermostat Suggestions for smarter climate control, and a range of core enhancements designed to improve device communication, safety devices visibility, and ecosystem security. The last time we wrote about a Matter release was for Matter 1.4.2, which added Wi-Fi-only provisioning and improved security, and we somehow missed the Matter 1.5 release that introduced cameras, closures (window shades, drapes, awnings, gates, garage doors…), and enhanced energy management capabilities. Let’s have a closer look at the new Matter 1.6 release. Matter 1.6 highlights: NFC-based commissioning – Commissioning can be challenging for devices like ceiling fixtures and in-wall switches, since they may need to be configured before they are installed. Matter 1.6 addresses this issue by allowing a Matter device to be commissioned through bi-directional NFC communication before the device is fully powered on. That’s […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on u-blox ALMA-B2 Bluetooth 6.0 and 802.15.4 module features Nordic nRF54LM20 Edge AI wireless MCU

u-blox ALMA-B2 Bluetooth 6.0 and 802.15.4 module features Nordic nRF54LM20 Edge AI wireless MCU

ALMA B2 series (Open CPU) Stand alone Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) modules

u-blox has recently announced the ALMA-B2 standalone BLE 6.0 and 802.15.4 module family built around the Nordic Semi nRF54LM20 Cortex-M33 wireless microcontroller with a dedicated NPU for low-latency Edge AI applications. There are four specific product variants in the u-blox ALMA-B2 series: ALMA-B201, ALMA-B206, ALMA-B211, and ALMA-B216, all of which support Bluetooth 6.0 and Bluetooth Channel Sounding for distance measurement. They also support IEEE 802.15.4, including Thread, Zigbee, and Matter, as well as Nordic’s proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol and NFC. The company also mentions that the nRF54LM20B-based ALMA-B211 and ALMA-B216 variants include an Axon NPU that performs machine learning tasks up to 15 times faster and with greater energy efficiency than running the same tasks on the main processor alone. u-blox ALMA-B2 Series Specifications: Wireless SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF54LM20A (for ALMA-B201 and B206) or nRF54LM20B (for ALMA-B211 and B216) CPU Arm Cortex-M33 application processor clocked at up to 128 MHz RISC-V […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 13 Comments on ESP32-P4 security key features 2-inch touchscreen, 3,000+ password capacity (Crowdfunding)

ESP32-P4 security key features 2-inch touchscreen, 3,000+ password capacity (Crowdfunding)

MiixKey compact offline hardware security key and password manager

MiixKeyPro (previously MiixKey) is a compact, offline ESP32-P4-based hardware security key and password manager that securely stores passwords, passkeys, NFC cards, and smart card credentials in a single portable device. It features a 2-inch touchscreen and is designed for users, developers, enterprises, government staff, and cybersecurity professionals who need secure offline credential management without relying on cloud services or smartphone apps. Previously, we wrote about security keys like the YubiKey and Google Titan Security Key, which are great for FIDO2 and U2F login, but they don’t have a display or user interface, so managing passwords or switching credentials usually requires a phone or computer. MiixKeyPro fixes this by adding a touchscreen and allowing the user to manage over 3,000 passwords fully offline. MiixKeyPro specifications: Main SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-P4 CPU Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V HP (High-performance) CPU @ up to 400 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU Single-RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core @ […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on LILYGO T-Watch Ultra – An IP65-rated ESP32-S3 smartwatch with 2.01-inch AMOLED, LoRa, and GNSS

LILYGO T-Watch Ultra – An IP65-rated ESP32-S3 smartwatch with 2.01-inch AMOLED, LoRa, and GNSS

T Watch Ultra

LILYGO’s T-Watch Ultra is an ESP32-S3-based smartwatch development platform that appears to be an upgrade over the previous T-Watch-S3 Plus (1.3-inch display and a 940mAh battery), with a larger 2.01-inch AMOLED touch display, a higher-capacity 1,100mAh battery, and an IP65 waterproof and dustproof rating. The device integrates a u-blox MIA-M10Q GNSS module for positioning, a SX1262 LoRa transceiver for long-range communication, and a Bosch BHI260AP smart sensor for motion-based AI applications. Additionally, it features an RTC chip, NFC, a built-in microphone, a haptic driver, a microSD card slot, and a USB Type-C port for programming and charging. The watch targets applications such as Meshtastic nodes, GPS tracking, wearable IoT interfaces, edge AI sensing, and custom smartwatch firmware development. LILYGO T-Watch Ultra specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments on STMicro ST25DA-C is the first NFC chip with Matter support

STMicro ST25DA-C is the first NFC chip with Matter support

ST25A-DC NFC Matter chip

ST ST25DA-C is an NFC chip with built-in support for the latest Matter 1.5 protocol, enabling easier installation of smart devices on home networks, including lighting, access control, security cameras, or any IoT device. NFC here is used as an alternative to Bluetooth LE or QR core commissioning. NFC tap-to-pair functionality enables users to tap an NFC tag code on a device with their smartphone to securely and easily add it to their Matter-compatible app(s) and network(s). Besides batteryless commissioning, the ST25DA-C chip can also be used for firmware updates over I2C (Matter OTA), and secure storage for keys & certificates. ST25DA-C secure NFC tag specifications: Contact interface 1.62 V to 3.3 V supply voltage range ESD protection Human body model (HBM): 6 kV for digital and antenna pads Charge device model (CDM): 1 kV based on a STMicroelectronics module I2C serial interface up to 400 kHz Contactless interface Power […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on nRF54L15 Connect Kit – A compact Bluetooth 6.0 LE, 802.15.4, and NFC development board

nRF54L15 Connect Kit – A compact Bluetooth 6.0 LE, 802.15.4, and NFC development board

nRF54L15 Connect Kit board

MakerDiary nRF54L15 Connect Kit is a compact Nordic Semi nRF54L15 development board offering Bluetooth 6.0 LE, 802.15.4 (Zigbee/Thread), and NFC connectivity as well as two 20-pin headers for expansion. It has the same form factor as the earlier nRF9151 Connect Kit board with LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS connectivity, and still features an nRF52820 MCU connected over UART to the nRF54L15 to handle programming and debugging through the board’s USB-C port, as well as power management, and a button and a few LEDs. nRF54L15 Connect Kit specifications: Wireless MCU – Nordic Semi nRF54L15 wireless SoC CPU Arm Cortex-M33 @ up to 128 MHz RISC-V coprocessor for “software-defined peripheral” Memory – 256 KB SRAM Storage – 1.5MB Non-volatile Memory (NVM) Wireless Bluetooth LE 6.0 (includes Channel Sounding) Thread, Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4-2020) Matter Amazon Sidewalk Proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols with a new 4 Mbps mode NFC support Interface MCU – Nordic Semi nRF52820 […]

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