NFC card emulation Android

Asked 7/7, 2011 at 13:59 Answered 2/3, 2012 at 8:40

the Nexus S device NXP PN544 NFC controller supports not only SWP for UICC based SE, but also the S2C (aka NFC-WI) for the external, e.g. micro SD card SE. Does anybody know how this can be enabled and what it means for the SD card? That is not relevant for the Google Nexus S (there is not SD card slot), but the NFC version of the Samsung Galaxy S II comes already with the SD card slot and here this will be a question.

I have tried to search for that and even the S2C standard seems to be relatively old (I think ECMA, 2006) I did not any related materials. What it means supporting S2C? The NXP544 has the built-in support, but what about the phone? Should the device have some hardware support like, e.g. antenna connectors in the slot and on the SD card to be connected directly to the RF interface?

Thanks a lot
Regards,
STeN

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Please visit following link on www.stackoverflow.com as well:
Android and Symbian NFC mobile development questions and answers (FAQ)

Gambier answered 7/7, 2011 at 13:59 Comment(2)

Does the Nexus S have any APIs now for accessing SWP? Are you trying to develop HW or want to create some software to take advantage of S2C? – Shatter 9/7, 2011 at 19:57

Hi, the API is not open, but according to some blog entries it can be already used with some changes. Then you might be able to use it for testing purposes and proof-of-concepts with a blank UICC. – Gambier 12/7, 2011 at 2:37

We are all a little bit lost about NFC Card Emulation in Android. Google and manufacturers are being a little bit too secretive about it. Engineers in charge of the API are IMHO playing a smokescreen game. They claim about the lack of interest in card emulation and they difficulties developers could face, but the fact is that they want to keep the hen of the golden egss for themselves for the time being.

No one knows a thing about SGII SWP capabilities. All are rumors. The same happens with Nexus S, which faces several problems. Obviously though applications could access embedded SE it would be worthless, since keys are expected to be kept secret by Google. The only way to go is the hope in SWP connectivity between UICC and NFC controller. Theoretically it is possible, and it has supposedly demostrated by Dr. Madlmayr at last MWC. However I am a bit skeptical about his success taking into consideration that without the manufacturer's cooperation, regarding baseband firmware support on SNS or SGSII, sending APDUs to the UICC, that seems not yet supported, card emulation through UICC is a lost war.

Tatianna answered 14/7, 2011 at 8:19 Comment(7)

1) I did some more investigations on the topic regarding the micro SD card support over the S2C (NFC-WI). The SD Card association standardized the 2 antenna pins in the same time ECMA standardzied the NFC-WI - but I do not know about any SD card with antenna PINS plus I am not aware about the SD card slot in any phone that is connected to the RF antenna in order to get the signal to the SD card secure card controller, which will allow the micro SD card acting as an ordinary contactless payment card. – Gambier 15/7, 2011 at 13:36

2) For the Java application developer I cannot see to much space in NFC payment area. One part of the application will be done in JavaCard and uploaded to the secure element leaving to the application developer possibility to communicate with the cardlet on secure element on over the APDU to get data to display in user interface 'less secure' data like 'list of last 5 payments', daily spends graph, etc... does not look that interesting:) – Gambier 15/7, 2011 at 13:42

3) The use of the SmartMX on the Google phones will be probably only for selected partners in specified regions, phone manufacturer or Google itself - that's for sure. The only way will be UICC and SD card, while the GSMA and MNO will probably force phone manufacturers to not go the micro SD card way... which might be the opposite banks would prefer... – Gambier 15/7, 2011 at 13:52

4) Any comments to my comments:) Fernando? Thanks a lot, STeN – Gambier 15/7, 2011 at 13:53

Hi STeN. I share your assumptions. Probably NFC payment (or any other application which requires card emulation mode) will not be available for the "general" public. However the interest is big between technology firms delivering services to transport authorities, retail chains, etc. Letting the user application access the cardlet has other potentials other than displaying some cardlet data, such as routing APDUs from TSMs to cardlet by means of transport methods available to User Applications, instead of relaying on OTA. – Tiein 16/7, 2011 at 16:13

When it comes to SD it is a really interesting alternative, since seems a little bit more "open" for 3rd party developers. I agree with you that the SmartMX internal SE element will only be available for Google or for its partners. The UICC way will be controlled by telcos. So SD card seems the only way left. However I am afraid I have not heard of any SD Card implementing the NFC-WI for the time being, :-( Though that could change in the near future. Who knows. Maybe major smart card manufarcturers are already working on that ... – Tiein 16/7, 2011 at 16:19

Check this - i have summarized all my NFC related comments. Please feel free to comment:#6993369 – Gambier 19/8, 2011 at 11:31

The PN544 has only one S2C (NFC-WI) interface. In case the phone has an embedded Secure Element, i.e. a SmartMX, this is connected via S2C. So there is in that case no possibility to connect also a micro-SD-based Secure Element.

Belsen answered 2/3, 2012 at 8:40 Comment(1)

Can you please look at #14871835 and provide your valuable opinion. – Dentist 20/2, 2013 at 6:37

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