Alliance unites NFC hardware and software

Innovision can now provide its customers with the Sasken NFC protocol stack software for integration with its Gem NFC hardware IP solution.

Innovision Research and Technology and Sasken Communication Technologies have signed their first near field communication (NFC) software stack partner agreement.

This partnership enables Innovision to provide its customers with the Sasken NFC protocol stack software solution, for integration with Innovision's Gem NFC hardware IP solution.

This relationship underscores both companies' mutual strengths and capabilities.

Sasken recognised Innovision's unique market-leading position for custom NFC hardware intellectual property (IP) with its Gem IP offering, and the relationship with Sasken further demonstrates Innovision's approach to providing a complete NFC IP solution for its customers by working with strong partners.

Innovision is recognised as the leading NFC SoC hardware IP provider with its Gem IP, available under an attractive licensing programme.

This combined IP and software solution will enable semiconductor companies to develop complete NFC capability, either for stand-alone applications or as part of integrated NFC SoCs within wireless connectivity devices such as Bluetooth, wireless LAN and UWB.

David Wollen, CEO at Innovision, says: "For NFC to scale up into mass volume deployment, cost control is critical and necessitates NFC becoming a feature on a chip rather than an additional dedicated chip in the handset".

"Our advanced Gem IP uniquely enables customised, cost-effective and fast-time to market NFC implementations".

"By partnering with Sasken, who has demonstrated capability for providing NFC software solutions, and using GEM as the baseline hardware solution, we can together offer a truly turnkey solution".

"I believe this partnership can help many device and chipset designers to meet the growing demand for high-performance, low-cost NFC-enabled devices and applications".

Sasken is developing its protocol stack, targeted for Innovision's Gem hardware IP to ensure a uniquely seamless solution.

The solution is targeted for various environments including SoC implementations.

The protocol stack supports ISO18092 and ISO14443A/B reader/writer modes and provides an ETSI HCI compatible interface towards upper layers.

The solution is highly configurable and is designed to work on scarce resources.

The software stack, available to partners under a flexible licensing agreement, provides a simple solution, integrating the Gem IP to middleware and application levels to provide a low cost, small space solution with minimal processing and power requirement.

Wollen continues: "Licensing NFC silicon IP bundled with a custom full NFC software solution, clears the way for semiconductor companies to move to the next stage of NFC integration within chipsets and devices".

"It will deliver significant unit cost benefits to implementers of NFC technology, and accelerate mass-market deployment of NFC.

The Gem IP is fully compliant with NFC standards and includes support for advanced features such as 'battery off', Single Wire Protocol (SWP) and 'zero power in standby' mode".

Kannankote Srikanth, President and COO, Sasken added: "When considering prospective hardware partners for our NFC software stack, Innovision with their Gem IP were an obvious choice, given their market-leading position".

"Sasken has already been involved with many NFC projects, and development and licensing of our NFC software stack is a natural progression of our business".

"Sasken's world class communications software development skills and commitment to quality, will provide greater confidence to semiconductor companies, for developing economical yet powerful NFC-enabled devices and applications".

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