NI contributes at improving global interoperability in contactless mobile payments
NI, a global producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software, announced today that their EMV L1 PCD analog test tool had been successfully qualified by EMVCo according to the latest version of the standard : 3.1a. That means, this tool can be used by the EMVCo appointed test laboratories to perform official type approval sessions of payment terminals according to the latest certification requirements
This new version of the EMVCo issued test standard is a major milestone in the improvement of the user experience when using a mobile phone as a means of payment. Mobile phones have now standardized on using active load modulation when operating in the NFC card emulation mode. This communication method could lead certain types of payment terminals to wrongly decode the frames coming from the mobile phone, or even ignoring them, with the consequence of interrupting the payment transaction, and ultimately creating customer and merchant frustration.
Starting from the application of the EMV L1 PCD analog 3.1a test plan, payment terminals candidate for EMVCo certification will be submitted to a new set of test cases, where the NI MP500 TCL3, or the Contactless Test Station (CTS), will simulate an NFC enabled handset using the active load modulation method to communicate, and perform a rigorous assessment of its ability to handle properly this kind of signal through the complex emulation of various physical parameters.
Stéphane Czeck, Offering Manager at NI for NFC and Wireless Charging, commented: “I am incredibly proud of this achievement, as this is shows one more time NI’s ability to innovate, and reinforces our position as a key partner to the NFC payment ecosystem. Terminal manufacturers, chip providers, and the numerous test laboratories who are using NI NFC test equipment will now be able to perform pre-certification sessions according to this new version of the EMV L1 PCD analog standard, way before its application becomes mandatory, thus allowing them to keep a decisive advantage on their respective markets”
NI is already a provider of EMVCo certified test solutions for the EMVCo L1 standards, including EMV L1 PCD digital, as well as EMV L1 PICC digital, following the latest version of the standard: 3.1a. Certified NFC Forum CR12 test suites for analog, digital protocol, LLCP and SNEP are also available on the same hardware platforms. Those solutions are widely deployed at EMVCo and NFC Forum test laboratories for official device certification.
Any member of the NFC ecosystem is welcome to watch the free IQLM themed webinar that our experts delivered in 2020 to understand more on the potential issues raised by active load modulation enabled NFC devices, and how the NI NFC test solutions elegantly solve those issues. Please do not hesitate to contact our local NI representative or distributor to find out how you can start testing your products according to the EMVCo L1 3.1a standard now.