Infineon has introduced SECORA™ Connect X, an all-in-one turnkey NFC solution

Smart wearable devices and Internet of Things devices are characterized by small size, low power consumption and rich functions, so their applications in various scenarios are on the rise. Users can use the NFC-enabled wearable device to make payments at stores, buy tickets for public transportation, or access office buildings through access controls.

In response to this market trend, Infineon has introduced SECORA™ Connect X, an all-in-one turnkey NFC solution. This ultra-low-power enhanced NFC solution clears the way for EMVCo standards-based payments. In addition, it now offers NFC wireless charging for smart wearable devices such as smart rings, bands and smartwatches, making them easier to use.

Tolgahan Yildiz, Payment Solutions product line leader at Infineon Technologies Security Connected Systems, said: "The wearables industry will see valuable growth opportunities in the coming years as the use of sensors and digital devices becomes more widespread and the healthcare industry becomes the new engine driving innovation in wearables. Both for ease of use and for smaller designs, NFC wireless charging will become increasingly important. "The SECORA™ Connect X solution follows this trend, turning subminiature passive wearables -- everyday items such as rings or wristbands -- into smart, connected devices that enable digital payment transactions."

According to ABI Research, the number of smart wearables will grow strongly at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8%, reaching around 700 million units by 2027. Wearable devices such as Oura Ring and Whoop Band fitness trackers, previously used only by professional athletes during training, are now commonplace in the general population. Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and obesity continue to rise, driving the demand for wearable devices.

At the same time, the pandemic is accelerating the transition to easy and fast digital payment methods.To this end, service providers are actively developing more devices to support the Internet of Things, to create a contactless smooth payment experience. Not only do these devices need to be small, secure and reliable, but they must also provide trustworthy consumer information and payment data protection.

Payment and NFC wireless charging features developed for ultra-small devices

SECORA™ Connect X, an enhanced NFC solution, provides advanced secure remote management capabilities that enable smart devices to perform consumer authentication. SECORA™ Connect X is designed for payment, transportation and access control applications. Secora ™ Connect X is a secure and fast communication solution for NFC devices. Infineon is helping a number of smart ring manufacturers introduce this special design by integrating payment and NFC wireless charging into the subcompact device, and using only one NFC antenna for both functions.

With pre-certified payment applications, a clean user interface, and easy host integration through the PSoC™ evaluation suite, product designers and Oems (original equipment manufacturers) can move seamlessly and get products to market faster. The solution also supports the CDCVM (Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method) feature, which allows customers to easily and quickly pass authentication without having to enter an additional PIN on the terminal, resulting in faster and more secure transactions. Keeping payment data on Infineon's Secure Element chip ensures security.

Ultra-low power consumption extends battery life

The SECORA™ Connect X multi-chip package is connected to a tiny antenna. The antenna is very small, thus reducing the size of the device while increasing the flexibility of the design. This also leaves more room for other semiconductor components. SECORA™ Connect X also simplifies the external circuitry with a smaller chip size that uses no more than seven capacitors, and it has a highly optimized compact shape. The subminiature antenna also cuts down on battery charging time, from 20 percent to 80 percent in 45 minutes.

Battery life can last up to three to four days thanks to the solution's ultra-low power consumption. In addition, the payment solution's standby mode has little impact on battery life, as Infineon's enhanced NFC design consumes only 4 to 6 µA of current, far less than other products on the market. Together, SECORA™ Connect X optimizes transaction performance and brings great convenience to customers.