Card Coil Design Guide for Infineon 32-bit

security controllers in 40 nm technology

Guideline and definitions for coil design

Application Note

About this document

Scope and purpose

This document serves as a guideline for the design of card coils for smart cards based on Infineon’s dual-
interface or contactless security controllers manufactured in 40 nm technology. The final product is intended to
be compliant with the relevant standards and specifications and shall fulfill the respective application
requirements. The recommendations are for guidance only. The specific behaviour of the coil design shall be
verified by measurement as described within this document.
The Infineon Card Coil Calculator software tool [9] supports the design of a card coil according to the
application requirements.

Intended audience
The information within this document is intended for coil designers and card manufacturers who want to
understand the theory behind card coil design and card coil characterization.

Application Note Please read the Important Notice and Warnings at the end of this document Revision 1.0
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Card Coil Design Guide for Infineon 32-bit security controllers in
40 nm technology
Table of contents

Table of contents
Table of contents ............................................................................................................................ 2
1 Components of a contactless card ............................................................................................ 4
1.1 Equivalent circuit of the card .................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Security controller IC............................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Module ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Card material ........................................................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Card coil ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2 Electrical and geometrical parameters of a coil ......................................................................... 6
2.1 Physical coil dimensions ......................................................................................................................... 6
2.2 Geometrical coil parameters .................................................................................................................. 6
2.3 Electrical coil parameters ....................................................................................................................... 7
2.3.1 Coil capacitance, Ccoil.......................................................................................................................... 7
2.3.2 Coil inductance, Lcoil ........................................................................................................................... 7
2.3.3 Coil resistance, Rcoil ............................................................................................................................. 7
2.3.4 Resonance frequency, fres ................................................................................................................... 8
2.4 Coil design aspects .................................................................................................................................. 8
2.4.1 Coil size ............................................................................................................................................... 8
2.4.2 Target resonance frequency .............................................................................................................. 8
2.4.3 Inductance/capacitance ratio ........................................................................................................... 9
3 Definitions of the PICC classes ................................................................................................10
3.1 PICC Class 1 ........................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 PICC Class 2 ........................................................................................................................................... 10
3.3 PICC Class 3 ........................................................................................................................................... 11
3.4 PICC Class 4 ........................................................................................................................................... 11
3.5 PICC Class 5 ........................................................................................................................................... 12
4 Design examples and reference designs ...................................................................................13
4.1 Design flow ............................................................................................................................................ 13
4.2 Reference designs ................................................................................................................................. 14
4.3 Class 1 coils ............................................................................................................................................ 14
4.3.1 Target specifications ........................................................................................................................ 14
4.3.2 Reference designs Class 1 coil ......................................................................................................... 14
4.4 Class 2 coils ............................................................................................................................................ 16
4.4.1 Target specification ......................................................................................................................... 16
4.4.2 Reference designs Class 2 coil ......................................................................................................... 16
4.5 Class 3 coil ............................................................................................................................................. 18
4.5.1 Target specification ......................................................................................................................... 18
4.5.2 Reference design Class 3 coil ........................................................................................................... 18
4.6 Class 4 coil ............................................................................................................................................. 18
4.6.1 Target specification ......................................................................................................................... 18
4.6.2 Reference design Class 4 coil ........................................................................................................... 19
4.7 Class 5 coil ............................................................................................................................................. 19
4.7.1 Target specification ......................................................................................................................... 19
4.7.2 Reference design Class 5 coil ........................................................................................................... 19
5 Coil characterization and system tests ....................................................................................21
5.1 Coil characterization ............................................................................................................................. 21
5.1.1 Coil characterization with an impedance analyzer ........................................................................ 22
5.1.2 Coil characterization with an LCR meter ......................................................................................... 23
5.2 Resonance frequency measurement .................................................................................................... 24
5.2.1 Equipment ........................................................................................................................................ 24
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Table of contents
5.2.2 Implementation ............................................................................................................................... 25
5.2.3 Threshold resonance frequency ...................................................................................................... 26
5.2.4 Unloaded resonance frequency ...................................................................................................... 27
5.2.5 Measurement with HP 8753D........................................................................................................... 27
5.2.6 Measurement with Agilent 4395A .................................................................................................... 28
5.2.7 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 29
5.3 Communication tests and standards compliancy testing ................................................................... 29
6 FAQ - frequently asked questions ............................................................................................30
References ....................................................................................................................................31
Glossary .......................................................................................................................................32
Revision history.............................................................................................................................33

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Components of a contactless card

1 Components of a contactless card

A contactless card consists mainly of four components that influence the behavior of the resonant circuit:
• Security controller IC
• Module
• Card material
• Card coil

1.1 Equivalent circuit of the card

Figure 1 depicts an electrical equivalent circuit of a contactless card that applies to the following discussion.
The given electrical elements represent the main components of cards with contactless interface.

Figure 1 Equivalent circuit of the card

Lcoil … Coil inductance

Rcoil … Coil resistance
Ccoil … Coil capacitance
Cadd … Additional capacitance
L a, L b … Contact areas of the module for connecting the card coil
Cm … Module capacitance
CIC … IC input capacitance
RIC … IC input resistance (load resistor)

1.2 Security controller IC

The security controller IC is the “heart” of the contactless card. It determines the features of a card and the
application-relevant performance.
The IC input capacitance and the required operating voltage determine features like the maximum operating
distance and the ability to operate several cards simultaneously. The correct measurement of the IC input
capacitance versus the operating voltage is a complex procedure and is not within the scope of this document.
The values of the IC input capacitance 𝐶𝐼𝐶 depends on the IC’s operating condition. The nominal value of the IC
input capacitance (without module) is specified with 27 pF, 56 pF or 78 pF, depending on the product.

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Components of a contactless card

The following tables list the typical IC input capacitance values of the IC without module (bare die) with their
corresponding tolerances and the measurement conditions:

Table 1 IC input capacitance (bare die) overview

Typical IC input capacitance Measurement condition
Nominal value 27 pF Nominal value 56 pF Nominal value 78 pF
26.9 ± 10% pF 54.4 ± 10% pF 75.6 ± 10% pF Threshold condition1:
13.56 MHz, 2.8 Vpeak
(SLC39: 2.6 Vpeak)

1.3 Module
The module or package is the housing for the security controller IC. It allows easy handling of the IC and
protects it against physical stress like extensive bending or UV rays. Additionally, it provides contact areas L a
and Lb for different coil connecting methods.
From an electrical point of view, the mounting of the IC in the module adds an additional capacitance Cm to the
resonant circuit of the card. However, the capacitance of the module is almost negligible compared to the IC’s
capacitance. So the input capacitance of the whole package (IC and module) is mainly determined by the IC
itself.
Infineon’s security controllers are available in different module types. In the Infineon Card Coil Calculator [9] the
target package should be selected to consider its capacitance for the coil design.

1.4 Card material

Due to its dielectric property, the material of the card body (usually PVC or PC) influences the capacitance of a
contactless card. In order to give some idea of the influence of the card materials and manufacturing process,
the card lamination process would reduce the resonance frequency by about 300 – 500 kHz (depending on the
relative permittivity r of the card material). This value is mainly influenced by the card manufacturing process
and shall therefore be considered in the verification of a coil design. Keep this dependency in mind when
changing the card material and verify the new card material within the given limits.

1.5 Card coil

The card coil is the electrical component which supplies the power to the IC and also enables communication
between the card and the reader. A well-designed card coil fully supports Infineon’s Security controller ICs to
achieve their maximum performance.
The requirements for a suitable card coil can be obtained from the following specifications and aspects:
• ISO/IEC 14443 [1], [2], [3], [4] and ISO/IEC 10373-6 [5] compliance regarding operating field strength range,
modulation waveform and load modulation amplitude
• EMV Contactless Interface Specification [8] compliance
• Application specific requirements, such as reading distance or communication speed
• Security controller’s contactless interface characteristics

1
The IC input capacitance is specified at threshold condition only. For the definition of the threshold and unloaded condition please see
Chapter 5.2.

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Electrical and geometrical parameters of a coil

2 Electrical and geometrical parameters of a coil

2.1 Physical coil dimensions
Generally, the larger the coil, the better the performance in terms of power transfer from the PCD to the card.
However, there might be restricted or reserved areas for the coil turns on the card. The restricted area for the
coil has to be defined according to the application requirements. For example, if there are any embossing
and/or magnetic stripe areas on the card, the coil and the IC module have to be positioned in way, that they do
not interfere with these restricted areas. This has to be taken into account in addition to the manufacturing
tolerance of the coil.

2.2 Geometrical coil parameters

In most cases a simple rectangular coil meets the requirements. A typical coil is shown in Figure 2. Figure 3
describes the differences between an etched or printed coil and a wired coil type.

a0

rectangular coil, N=3

b0

g w

Figure 2 Geometrical coil parameters (given for an etched or printed coil)

etched or printed coil: wired coil:

p
t

g w d

Figure 3 Etched or printed vs. wired coil type

a0 … Coil length g… Gap between tracks (etched or printed coil)

b0 … Coil width t… Track thickness (etched or printed coil)
N… Number of turns d… Wire diameter (wired coil)
w… Track width (etched or printed coil) p… Wire pitch (wired coil)

The coil length a0 and coil width b0 represent the outer dimensions for etched or printed coils and the center-to-
center dimensions for wired coils.
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Electrical and geometrical parameters of a coil

2.3 Electrical coil parameters

From an electrical point of view, the coil is not an ideal inductor but also has a resistive and a capacitive
component. The values of these components are of essential importance for the card’s electrical and functional
properties. The figure below gives the equivalent electrical circuit of the coil.
To calculate and tune the electrical coil parameters the Infineon Card Coil Calculator [9] may be used.

Figure 4 Equivalent circuit of the coil

2.3.1 Coil capacitance, Ccoil

The capacitance Ccoil mainly results from the close distance between the turns of the coil. The value of Ccoil can
be directly influenced in various ways:
• For etched or printed coils: by changing the track width w, the track thickness t or the gap g between the
tracks
• For wired coils: by changing the wire pitch p or the wire diameter d
• By changing the card material: Ccoil is influenced by the card material’s dielectrical property, which is
described by the relative permittivity r
Typically, the parasitic capacitance of a card coil is 2 to 4 pF.

2.3.2 Coil inductance, Lcoil

The coil inductance Lcoil influences decisively the overall performance of the card. The inductance together with
the total capacitance defines the resonance frequency of the circuit. A high inductance does not necessarily
imply a better power condition for the IC. Due to the usually higher power consumption of the IC, a lower coil
inductance may deliver better performance. In fact, the resonance frequency of the coil should be fine-tuned
by changing the parameters which influence the inductance of the coil. The coil inductance depends on the
geometrical parameters as described in Figure 2 and Figure 3.
𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 = 𝑓(𝑎0 , 𝑏0 , 𝑡, 𝑔, 𝑤, 𝑑, 𝑝, 𝑁)

2.3.3 Coil resistance, Rcoil

The resistive component Rcoil of the coil causes additional power loss in the card coil. The intention is to keep
this loss small compared to the power consumption of the IC. If Rcoil is too high the reader has to provide more
energy to operate the card.
Due to physical effects like skin effect and proximity effect the coil resistance Rcoil depends on the operating
frequency, the coil material, and the coil dimensions.
The specification of the limits for Rcoil refers to the quality factor Qcoil of the coil.

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Electrical and geometrical parameters of a coil
𝜔⋅𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
𝑄𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 = 𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
with 𝜔 = 2𝜋𝑓𝑐 and 𝑓𝑐 = 13.56 𝑀𝐻𝑧

The overall quality factor of the card system is determined by the quality factors of the card coil and the IC
itself. Its value is always a trade-off between maximal power range and minimal loading effect of the card on
the reader. Infineon recommends to keep the quality factor of the coil above a value of 20 in order to achieve a
balanced overall quality factor of the card system.
To ensure an adequate quality factor for the coil, a wire diameter of 112 µm for wired copper coils and a
minimum track width of 200 µm for etched copper coils should be used. For wire diameters of 112 µm, the
resulting overall quality factor is mainly determined by the IC. Cards with wire diameters less than 80 µm will
suffer from low Qcoil. For printed coils a detailed statement is not possible due to the variety of materials and
manufacturing processes available. The value of the coil resistance has to be verified by measurement
according to Chapter 4.2.

2.3.4 Resonance frequency, fres

The characteristic resonance frequency fres of a damped RLC resonant circuit, like a card coil, is defined as the
frequency at which the impedance of the circuit is at a minimum or purely resistive. This can be seen as the
frequency, where the card coil is able to transfer the maximum amount of energy received from the RF field of a
reader device to the IC. It is mainly determined by the coil inductance Lcoil and coil capacitance Ccoil and can be
measured using methods as described in Chapter 4.2.
Generally, the resonance frequency fres of the card is calculated using the following formula:
1
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠 =
2 ∙ 𝜋 ∙ √𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 ∙ (𝐶𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 + 𝐶𝑎𝑑𝑑 + 𝐶𝑚 + 𝐶𝐼𝐶 )
The recommended nominal target value of the resonance frequency fres of a complete card depends on the
chosen product and the coil size. Very high resonance frequencies will degrade the performance of the
individual card.

2.4 Coil design aspects

Designing a coil allows some variance which can be used to optimize the card performance. Coil size and
resonance frequency are the well-known main parameters, but also the inductance-to-capacitance ratio of the
resonant circuit has a significant influence on the card’s performance.

2.4.1 Coil size

From the perspective of performance, the coil area should always be as large as possible. However, the coil size
is always given by customer or project requirements and is often additionally restricted by embossing areas,
visual card designs, or similar other constraints.

2.4.2 Target resonance frequency

Generally, the target resonance frequency can be chosen from a wide range that starts at 13.56 MHz and can go
up to 18 MHz or even beyond. To ensure an optimal card performance in a majority of scenarios, the
recommended resonance frequency for the specific coil class and target application should be used.

Note: For card coil design the threshold resonance frequency fres, TH at threshold condition is relevant! For
methods how to measure this value and information on the difference to the unloaded resonance
frequency see Chapter 5.2.

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Electrical and geometrical parameters of a coil

Table 2 gives an overview of resonance frequency recommendations for different coil sizes with focus on best
trade-off between communication quality, performance and stackability.

Table 2 Recommended fres, TH for various “coil size – input capacitance” combinations
Coil size acc. to Nominal IC input capacitance
ISO/IEC 14443-1 [1] 27 pF 56 pF 78 pF
Class 1 16.5 MHz 16.0 MHz , 15.0 MHz
1 2
-
Class 2, Class 3 - 14.0 MHz -
Class 4 and smaller - 13.6 MHz 13.6 MHz

“-“ = Combination not recommended by Infineon

2.4.3 Inductance/capacitance ratio

The performance of an IC based card can be further fine-tuned by varying the inductance/capacitance ratio,
while keeping the desired resonance frequency constant. Due to the characteristic power consumption of
microcontroller-based cards, investigations have shown that increasing the capacitance (at the same time
decreasing the inductance to keep the resonance frequency constant) can lead to a better power supply
condition of the IC.
Table 3 gives an overview of the effects of the various design measures. Designing a coil is always a trade-off
between positive (green arrow) and negative (red arrow) effects. For Infineon’s recommended coil designs,
loading effect and self-heating are noncritical parameters.

Table 3 Overview of effects caused by coil design measures

Design measure Hmin LMA Loading effect Self-heating
Increasing coil size / coupling factor ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑
Decreasing fres by increasing capacitance CIC, Ccoil
3
↓ ↑ ↑ →
Decreasing3 fres by increasing inductance Lcoil ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓
Decreasing inductance Lcoil and increasing ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑
capacitance CIC, Ccoil at the same time

Hmin … Minimum required field strength to power the IC

LMA … Load modulation amplitude generated by the card
Loading effect … Loading of the reader caused by the card. A too high loading may lead to
field strength degradation and strongly deformed modulation waveforms.
Self-heating … At high field strengths the high current flow in the IC causes high
temperatures due to IC internal power dissipation.

Hmin and LMA values are also dependent on the coupling factor between the PCD and the PICC. The better the
coupling, the greater will be the positive effects of the above measures. For situations with low coupling factors
(e.g. special readers with very small coil sizes compared to the card coil), these effects may be less pronounced
or even non-existent.

1
This value is relevant for EMVCo compliant Payment applications with 56 pF products.
2
This value is relevant for Power Source applications with 56 pF products, where increased energy transfer from PCD to PICC is required.
3
Only feasible if fres is greater than 13.56 MHz

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Definitions of the PICC classes

3 Definitions of the PICC classes

ISO/IEC 14443-1 [1] defines various PICC classes, respectively coil sizes. The following section gives a brief
overview of Class 1 and Class 2 coils. For detailed information please refer to ISO/IEC 14443-1 [1].

3.1 PICC Class 1

The coil of a Class 1 PICC shall be located within a zone defined by two rectangles, as shown in Figure 5:
• external rectangle: 81 mm x 49 mm
• internal rectangle: 64 mm x 34 mm, centered in the external rectangle, with 3 mm corner radii, with a
maximum area of 300 mm² (except for the connections to the ends of the coil)

81 mm

Coil zone

64 mm
49 mm

34 mm

Figure 5 Location of the coil of the “Class 1” PICC

3.2 PICC Class 2

The coil of a Class 2 PICC shall be located within a zone defined by two rectangles, as shown in Figure 6:
• external rectangle: 81 mm x 27 mm
• internal rectangle: 51 mm x 13 mm, located at 7 mm and 8.5 mm from the external rectangle, with 3 mm
corners radii

81 mm

Coil zone 8,5 mm

27 mm

13 mm

51 mm
7 mm

Figure 6 Location of the coil of the “Class 2” PICC

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Definitions of the PICC classes

3.3 PICC Class 3

The coil of a "Class 3" PICC shall be located within a zone defined by either:
• external rectangle: 50 mm x 40 mm
• internal rectangle: 35 mm x 24 mm, centered in the external rectangle, with 3 mm corners radii

or
• external circle: with diameter 50 mm
• internal circle: with diameter 32 mm, concentric with the external circle, with a maximum area of
300 mm² (except for the connections to the ends of the coil)
as shown in Figure 7.

50 mm

50 mm

35 mm
32 mm
40 mm

24 mm

Coil zone Coil zone

Figure 7 Location of the coil of the “Class 3” PICC

3.4 PICC Class 4

The coil of a "Class 4" PICC shall be located within a zone defined by either:
• external rectangle: 50 mm x 27 mm
• internal rectangle: 35 mm x 13 mm, centered in the external rectangle, with 3 mm corners radii

or
• external circle: with diameter 41 mm
• internal circle: with diameter 24 mm, concentric with the external circle, with a maximum area of
300 mm² (exception for the connections to the ends of the coil)
as shown in Figure 8.

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Definitions of the PICC classes

41 mm

50 mm

24 mm
13 mm
27 mm

35 mm

Coil zone Coil zone

Figure 8 Location of the coil of the “Class 4” PICC

3.5 PICC Class 5

The coil of a "Class 5" PICC shall be located within a zone defined by either:
• external rectangle: 40,5 mm x 24,5 mm
• internal rectangle: 25 mm x 10 mm, centered in the external rectangle, with 3 mm corners radii

or
• external circle: with diameter 35 mm
• internal circle: with diameter 18 mm, concentric with the external circle, with a maximum area of
300 mm² (except for the connections to the ends of the coil)
as shown in Figure 9.

35 mm

40,5 mm
18 mm
24,5 mm

10 mm

25 mm

Coil zone Coil zone

Figure 9 Location of the coil of the “Class 5” PICC

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Design examples and reference designs

4 Design examples and reference designs

4.1 Design flow
Experience has shown that the actual behavior of the coil always differs more or less from the calculated
values. Therefore, it is highly recommended to follow the design flow as shown in Figure 10.

Start coil design

Calculate coil parameters

using
Infineon Card Coil
Calculator [9]
i

Manufacture Manufacture Manufacture

samples using samples using samples using
parameters for a parameters for the parameters for a
lower fres target fres higher fres
(- 500 kHz) → coil 1 (+ 500 kHz)
→ coil 2 → coil 3

Measure resonance
frequency fres

Modify coil parameters Choose card with fres

(e.g. pitch or gap) closest to target fres
and manufacture samples using these
new parameters

No fres of chosen card

is within requirements?

Yes

Design finished

Figure 10 Recommended coil design flow

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Design examples and reference designs

4.2 Reference designs

This chapter introduces design examples for several coil classes. The designs shown here are so-called
“reference designs” and are recommended by Infineon for all use cases.
Depending on the chosen Infineon product one of the following reference designs should be used:

Table 4 Overview of reference designs and their target resonance frequencies

Nominal chip Coil size
input capacitance Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5
27 pF 16.5 MHz - - - -
56 pF 16.0 MHz 1
CL-only CL-only CL-only CL-only
15.0 MHz2 14.0 MHz 14.0 MHz 13.6 MHz 13.6 MHz
Dual-interface
14.0 MHz

The given reference designs are calculated on inlay-basis. During the card manufacturing process, the resulting
resonance frequency of the card will shift towards lower values due to card lamination (please see Chapter 1.4
for details). This effect has to be considered when choosing the target resonance frequency for a coil design.

4.3 Class 1 coils

4.3.1 Target specifications

• Wired coil design
• Coil material: Copper
• Card material: PVC, rel. permittivity r = 3
• Module: P-MCC8-2-6 module (CL-only) or S-MFC8.8-8-x module (dual-interface)
• Resonance frequency fres of the card: 16.5 MHz, 16.0 MHz or 15.0 MHz, depending on application
• Dimensions according to “Class 1” definition

4.3.2 Reference designs Class 1 coil

Class 1 for ID or Transport applications with 27 pF products:
• Coil length: 80 mm
• Coil width: 48 mm
• Pitch = 0.85 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 4
• Inductance = 2.95 µH
• Resonance frequency = 16.81 MHz

1
This value is relevant for EMVCo compliant Payment applications with 56 pF products
2
This value is relevant for Power Source applications with 56 pF products, where increased energy transfer from PCD to PICC is required

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Design examples and reference designs

80mm

48mm

850um

Figure 11 Class 1 reference design for ID or Transport applications with 27 pF products

Class 1 for EMVCo compliant Payment applications with 56 pF products:

• Coil length: 78 mm
• Coil width: 48 mm
• Pitch = 1.20 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 3
• Inductance = 1.68 µH
• Resonance frequency = 16.01 MHz

Figure 12 Class 1 reference design for EMVCo compliant Payment applications with 56 pF products

Note: This reference design has been qualified according to EMVCo compliant payment applications with a
bit rate of 106 kbit/s only.

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Design examples and reference designs

Class 1 for Power Source applications with 56 pF products:

• Coil length: 80 mm
• Coil width: 48 mm
• Pitch = 0.75 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 3
• Inductance = 1.91 µH
• Resonance frequency = 14.96 MHz

Figure 13 Class 1 reference design for Power Source applications with 56 pF products

Note: This reference design has been optimized for applications in combination with Infineon’s 32-bit
Security Controller V23 (SLC39B) with Power Source functionality, where increased power transfer
from PDC to PICC is required to supply external components from the RF field of the PCD.

4.4 Class 2 coils

4.4.1 Target specification

• Wired coil design
• Coil material: Copper
• Card material: PVC, rel. permittivity r = 3
• Module: P-MCC8-2-6 module (CL-only) or T-M8.8-8-x module (dual-interface)
• Resonance frequency fres of the card: 14.0 MHz
• Dimensions according to “Class 2” definition

4.4.2 Reference designs Class 2 coil

Class 2 CL-only with 56 pF products:
• Coil length: 78 mm
• Coil width: 27 mm

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Design examples and reference designs

• Pitch = 0.85 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 4
• Inductance = 2.11 µH
• Resonance frequency = 14.28 MHz

78mm
27mm

850um

Figure 14 Class 2 CL-only reference design

Class 2 dual-interface with 56 pF products:

• Coil length: 81 mm
• Average coil length: 70.47 mm = (81 mm x 13.3 mm + 58.5 mm x 11.7 mm) / 25 mm
• Coil width: 25 mm
• Pitch = 0.60 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 4
• Inductance = 2.04 µH
• Resonance frequency = 14.52 MHz

Note: The average coil length calculated above has to be entered as “Coil length” parameter into the Infineon Card
Coil Calculator.

81mm
13,3mm
25mm

58,5mm

Figure 15 Class 2 dual-interface reference design

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Design examples and reference designs

4.5 Class 3 coil

4.5.1 Target specification

• Wired coil design
• Coil material: Copper
• Card material: PVC, rel. permittivity r = 3
• Module: P-MCC8-2-6 module (CL-only)
• Resonance frequency fres of the card: 14.0 MHz
• Dimensions according to “Class 3” definition

4.5.2 Reference design Class 3 coil

Class 3 with 56 pF products:
• Coil length: 50 mm
• Coil width: 40 mm
• Pitch = 0.50 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 4
• Inductance = 2.09 µH
• Resonance frequency = 14.34 MHz

50mm
40mm

500um

Figure 16 Class 3 CL-only reference design

4.6 Class 4 coil

4.6.1 Target specification

• Wired coil design
• Coil material: Copper
• Card material: PVC, rel. permittivity r = 3
• Module: P-MCC8-2-6 module (CL-only)
• Resonance frequency fres of the card: 13.6 MHz
• Dimensions according to “Class 4” definition

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Design examples and reference designs

4.6.2 Reference design Class 4 coil

Class 4 with 56 pF products:
• Coil length: 50 mm
• Coil width: 27 mm
• Pitch = 0.55 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 5
• Inductance = 2.32 µH
• Resonance frequency = 13.67 MHz

50mm
27mm

550um

Figure 17 Class 4 CL-only reference design

4.7 Class 5 coil

4.7.1 Target specification

• Wired coil design
• Coil material: Copper
• Card material: PVC, rel. permittivity r = 3
• Module: P-MCC8-2-6 module (CL-only)
• Resonance frequency fres of the card: 13.6 MHz
• Dimensions according to “Class 5” definition

4.7.2 Reference design Class 5 coil

Class 5 with 56 pF products
• Coil length: 40.5 mm
• Coil width: 24.5 mm
• Pitch = 0.25 mm
• Wire diameter = 0.112 mm
• Number of turns = 5
• Inductance = 2.31 µH
• Resonance frequency = 13.64 MHz

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Design examples and reference designs

40,5mm

24,5mm

250um

Figure 18 Class 5 CL-only reference design

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Coil characterization and system tests

5 Coil characterization and system tests

There are several tests to ensure optimum functionality of the contactless card.
• Coil characterization (Chapter 5.1): is carried out to determine the electrical coil parameters, such as
inductance, resistance and capacitance.
• Resonance frequency measurement (Chapter 5.2).
• Basic communication test (Chapter 5.3) between the card and the reader ensures that the IC is properly
connected to the coil.
• Optionally, to ensure full compliance to required standards and specifications, tests defined in
ISO/IEC 10373-6 [5] or EMV Contactless Interface Specifications [8] should be performed.

5.1 Coil characterization

According to the equivalent circuit of the coil (see Figure 4), the coil can be characterized by determining the
circuit’s inductance Lcoil, the resistance Rcoil, and the capacitance Ccoil.
For Figure 19 the coil is assumed to be a serial connection of only a resistor Rs and an inductor Ls (without
capacitor). This assumption is correct for low frequencies where the parasitic capacitance has a negligible
influence on the impedance compared to the coil inductance. Therefore, the real inductance Lcoil should be
measured at a relatively low frequency (≈ 1 MHz).
At higher frequencies the influence of the capacitance increases and thus the inductance for this simplified
equivalent circuit model increases. This effect can be used to determine the capacitance of the coil.
The capacitance Ccoil can be determined by:
1 1 1
𝐶𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 ≈ 2
⋅( − )
(2𝜋𝑓𝑚 ) 𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝐿𝑚

fm … Frequency at which Lm is measured, e.g. 30 MHz; must be below the

natural resonance frequency of the coil
Lcoil … Coil inductance determined at low frequency
Lm … Inductance measured at fm

LS

Lm

Lcoil

fm f

Figure 19 Example plot of measured inductance versus frequency

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Coil characterization and system tests

The coil resistance Rcoil should be measured at the system frequency (13.56 MHz).
Two equivalent measurement methods with different equipment and measurement setups are described in the
following chapters.

5.1.1 Coil characterization with an impedance analyzer

Measurement setup:
• Agilent 4194A impedance analyzer
• Agilent 16047E test fixture

The Agilent 16047E test fixture is directly connected to the instrument ports. Due to the metal parts of the
impedance analyzer and the test fixture, a piece of wire1 (≈ 40 mm) is used to enlarge the distance between the
coil and the measurement devices, thereby avoiding falsification of the results.

Attention: Ensure that there is no metal or any electrically conductive materials in the vicinity of the device
under test (DUT) during the measurement!

Two equivalent methods to determine the electrical parameters of the coil with an impedance analyzer are
described below:

LS-RS method:
1. Adjust the frequency range, e.g.: Start = 100 kHz , End = 30 MHz
2. Compensation: Short, Open (please ensure that the piece of wire for measurement is connected already
before the compensation).
3. Function → Select “LS-RS”
4. Set the marker to 1 MHz and read the inductance value Lcoil.
5. Set the marker to 30 MHz and read the inductance value Lm required for capacitance calculation.
6. Set the marker to 13.56 MHz and read the resistance value Rcoil.

Equivalent circuit method:

1. Adjust the frequency range e.g.: Start = 100 kHz , End = 30 MHz
2. Compensation: Short, Open (please ensure that the piece of wire for measurement is connected already
before the compensation).
3. Function → Select “Impedance: Z,Ө”
4. Start the measurement
5. Choose the appropriate EQV function (see Figure 4) and press the “Calc” button to determine Rcoil, Lcoil and
Ccoil.

1
Needs to be included during the calibration/compensation process of the measurement setup!

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Coil characterization and system tests

5.1.2 Coil characterization with an LCR meter

Measurement setup:
• Agilent 4285A LCR Meter
• Agilent 16047E test tixture

A piece of wire should be used to increase the spacing between the LCR meter and the coil as described in
Chapter 5.1.1.

Measurement instructions:
1. Compensation: Short, Open
2. Select the function Ls-Rs
3. Measure at 1 MHz and read the inductance value Lcoil.
4. Measure at 30 MHz and read the inductance value Lm required for capacitance calculation.
5. Measure at 13.56 MHz and read the resistance value Rcoil.

LCR Meter/
Impedance Analyzer

Agilent 16047E Test Fixture

Additional connecting wire

Device under test (coil)

Figure 20 Measurement setup for coil characterization with an LCR meter or impedance analyzer

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Coil characterization and system tests

5.2 Resonance frequency measurement

Due to the nonlinear characteristic of the IC input capacitance in relation to the input voltage, the resonance
frequency of a contactless card is dependent on the field strength:
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠 = 𝑓(𝐻)
There are two different operating conditions where the resonance frequency is measured:
• Threshold resonance frequency fres,TH at threshold condition (threshold field strength)
• Unloaded resonance frequency fres,UL at unloaded condition (low field strength)

Threshold condition defines the minimum field strength where the IC has just started up and is in operational
condition. The IC start-up must be monitored with a network analyzer during the measurement.

Note: The resonance frequency at threshold condition is the value that is relevant for the card coil design
process!

Unloaded condition represents a field strength, where the IC is not powered at all, therefore the parasitic
capacitance of the IC’s internal rectifier will not influence the measurement results. Therefore, there is no need
to reproduce a certain IC state. Consequently, it is less complex and can be performed quickly. It’s useful for
plausibility checks (e.g. is the IC properly connected to the coil) and for monitoring the mass production. The
unloaded resonance frequency is always higher than the threshold resonance frequency. Please make use of
the Infineon Card Coil Calculator [9] to determine the fres, UL for a specific card sytem.
The resonance frequency measurement is based on the impedance measurement of a measuring coil coupled
to the card under test.

5.2.1 Equipment
• A Vector Network Analyzer, e.g. Hewlett Packard 8753D, Agilent 4395A, Omicron Lab Bode 100 or equivalent
• Measuring coil with 2 turns, as depicted in Figure 21

Figure 21 Measuring coil for resonance frequency measurement

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Coil characterization and system tests

5.2.2 Implementation
The resonance frequency is the frequency at which the real part of the measured impedance (Re{Z}, Z:R) is
maximal (as defined in ISO/IEC 10373-6 [5]). For both measurements, threshold and unloaded, the network
analyzer has to be calibrated once using a calibration kit and the proper frequency and power settings (see
Table 5). The calibration has to be performed without the measuring coil connected. If an attenuator or
amplifier is used for the measurement (see below), the calibration has to be performed with the attenuator or
the amplifier connected! The calibration data can be stored and the proper data can be loaded before starting
a measurement.

Table 5 Recommended network analyzer parameter settings

Network analyzer Frequency range Output power range
(examples) Unloaded condition Threshold condition
HP 8753D 10.0 MHz - 20.0 MHz1 -30 dBm Up to +12 dBm
Agilent 4395A with 10.0 MHz - 20.0 MHz -25 dBm Cannot be reached
43961A RF impedance (4396A1 has 6 dB loss!)
test adapter
Bode 100 with 10.0 MHz - 20.0 MHz -27 dBm Up to +25 dBm
B-AMP12 amplifier with B-AMP12

If the network analyzer does not support a minimum power setting for the unloaded condition as stated in
Table 5, a proper attenuator should be used to connect the measuring coil.

Table 6 Attenuator for unloaded condition (optional)

Minimum power setting Attenuator Effective power
-15 dBm 10 dB -25 dBm
-5 dBm 20 dB -25 dBm

Figure 22 Example for a 10 dB attenuator (SMA)

The attenuation might cause additional noise and might lower the quality of the measurement results.
Nevertheless, measurements show that the results are OK up to an attenuation of 20 dB. Additionally, the
results can be improved by using the averaging and/or smoothing features of the network analyzer.

1
Due to mismatch of the measuring coil (Z <> 50 Ω) and an internal source switching the Hewlett Packard 8753D Network Analyzer
generates a power discontinuity at exactly 16.0 MHz, which can make the measurement difficult and/or inexact. Therefore, the
frequency range for threshold condition measurement is divided into two parts (below and above 16.0 MHz). The frequency range
can be adapted to the expected resonance frequency to get a better frequency resolution and thus more accurate results.

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Coil characterization and system tests

5.2.3 Threshold resonance frequency

For this measurement the DUT is placed directly on top of the measuring coil (see Figure 23). A minimal
influence of the rather strong coupling between the measuring coil and the DUT has to be accepted due to the
network analyzer’s power limitation.

Figure 23 Setup for threshold resonance frequency measurement

Description of measurement:
1. Load the required calibration data
2. Connect the measuring coil to the network analyzer
3. Configure the device to measure the real part of the impedance of the measuring coil Re{Z11}
(Conversion = “Z:Refl”, Format = “Real”)
4. Put the DUT concentrically onto the measuring coil
5. Perform a power sweep (e.g.: -10 dBm to 15 dBm or 25 dBm, step size: 1 dBm) and measure the resonance
frequency at every power setting (the resonance frequency is the frequency where the real part of the
impedance is maximal)
6. Plot the resonance frequency values versus the power setting
7. Determine the threshold resonance frequency as shown in Figure 24

Figure 24 Resonance frequency as a function of the network analyzer output power

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5.2.4 Unloaded resonance frequency

For this measurement the DUT is exposed to rather low field strengths. To avoid any influence of the coupling
between the DUT and the measuring coil, a spacer is mounted onto the measuring coil (see Figure 25). Thus,
the distance between the DUT and the coil is ~1 cm. The spacer shall not influence the parasitic capacitance of
the DUT’s coil.

Description of measurement:
1. Calibrate the device or load the required calibration data
2. Connect the measuring coil to the network analyzer
3. Configure the device to measure the real part of the impedance of the measuring coil Re{Z11}
(Conversion = “Z:Refl”, Format = “Real”)
4. Put the DUT concentrically onto the spacer above the measuring coil
5. Set appropriate power as given for the corresponding instruments (see Table 5)
6. The unloaded resonance frequency is the frequency where the real part of the impedance is maximal (see
Figure 26)

5.2.5 Measurement with HP 8753D

Figure 25 Setup for unloaded resonance frequency measurement

Figure 26 Unloaded resonance frequency measurement, fres,UL = 19.2 MHz

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Coil characterization and system tests

5.2.6 Measurement with Agilent 4395A

Figure 27 Setup for unloaded resonance frequency measurement with APC7 to SMA adapter

Figure 27 shows the setup for measuring the unloaded resonance frequency using the Agilent 43961A RF
Impedance Test Adapter and an APC7 to SMA adapter to connect the measuring coil.

Figure 28 Setup for unloaded resonance frequency measurement with Agilent 16092A spring clip fixture

In Figure 28, an alternative setup for the unloaded resonance frequency measurement can be seen. Here the
measuring coil is connected to the Agilent 43961A RF Impedance Test Adapter via an Agilent 16092A spring clip
fixture.

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Coil characterization and system tests

5.2.7 Conclusion
There are two different resonance frequency measurement methods at different operation conditions:
unloaded (low field strength) and threshold (threshold field strength) resonance frequency.
The relevant value for the card coil design is the threshold resonance frequency.
The value of the unloaded resonance frequency is always higher than the threshold resonance frequency. The
offset is only constant for a specific IC input capacitance and coil design. Due to the fact that this measuring
method is easy and quick, the unloaded resonance frequency is useful for monitoring the card manufacturing
process. This means if the unloaded resonance frequency value is stable, then the threshold resonance
frequency should also be fine.

5.3 Communication tests and standards compliancy testing

A simple communication test can be done using a PC/SC desktop reader or a POS Payment reader by placing
the card on the reader device and reading its Aswer-To-Reset (ATR) data using an appropriate software tool.
This will ensure that the IC is properly connected to the card coil and works as intended.
However, this test cannot ensure that the card will be fully interoperable with all kinds of reader devices or be
compliant with the relevant standards. Therefore, Infineon Technologies strongly recommends testing the card
against the ISO/IEC 14443 [1], [2], [3], [4] specification using ISO/IEC 10373-6 [5] test methods. For EMV Payment
cards, a full EMV Level 1 analog test on EMV certified measurement equipment or a debug session at an EMV
certified test laboratory should be done before releasing the coil design for certification or mass production.

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FAQ - frequently asked questions

6 FAQ - frequently asked questions

Question 1: We have old coil designs for Infineon’s dual-interface SLE 77/78 or 16-bit security controllers with
27 pF, 56 pF or 78 pF input capacitance. Can we reuse them with your dual-interface 32-bit security controllers
in 40 nm technology?
Answer 1: Yes. Infineon’s 32-bit security controllers in 40 nm technology are available with identical nominal
input capacitance values of 27 pF, 56 pF and 78 pF and have been designed to be backwards compatible with
existing coil designs. As long as you choose a product with the same input capacitance, you will end up with a
similar card resonance frequency. Provided that the old coil designs followed our resonance frequency
recommendations of 16.5 MHz for Class 1, 14.0 MHz for Class 2-3 and 13.6 MHz for Class 4 or smaller, you can
expect a good card performance.

Question 2: Our current Class 2 coil design is based on 56 pF chip input capacitance resulting in 14.0 MHz card
resonance frequency. Can I reuse it with a 27 pF input capacitance chip? This would mean my card then has a
resonance frequency of about 19 – 21 MHz.
Answer 2: It's not recommended as the resulting resonance frequency is too far away from the recommended
value of 14.0 MHz. This would result in poor card performance due to the small coil size.

Question 3: I want to do a Class 1 coil design for a single-card system. How about tuning it to 14.0 MHz to get a
better operating distance due to the fact that I'm closer to the 13.56 MHz carrier frequency?
Answer 3: This will work, but you have to be aware that there are some facts and side effects that need to be
considered:
• For ICAO compliant applications the target resonance frequency has to be in the range of 15 – 18 MHz.
• Concerning the “stacking” you have to be aware that although the system is supposed to handle only one
card at a time, unintentional “stacking” may happen. Think of keeping the card in a wallet with other cards
in close distance to each other. The other cards are not operated by the system, but they also will be
powered and therefore the resulting resonance frequency for all cards will shift out of the optimum range.
• From energetic point of view, resonance frequencies close to 13.56 MHz in combination with high coupling
factors result in a high loading effect. Thus, the strong retroactive effect of the card on the reader can
degrade the RF field and worsen the system performance. Nevertheless, for small form factors like Class 4
and Class 5 the coupling factor is never that big due to the fact that reader coils are usually bigger. Here, the
positive effect of the low resonance frequency is more important.

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References

References
[1] International Standard ISO/IEC 14443-1, Fourth Edition, 2018-04
[2] International Standard ISO/IEC 14443-2, Fourth Edition, 2020-07
[3] International Standard ISO/IEC 14443-3, Fourth Edition, 2018-07
[4] International Standard ISO/IEC 14443-4, Fourth Edition, 2018-07
[5] International Standard ISO/IEC 10373-6, Fourth Edition, 2020-07
[6] International Standard ISO/IEC 7811-1, Fifth Edition, 2018-08
[7] International Standard ISO/IEC 7811-2, Fifth Edition, 2018-08
[8] EMV Contactless Interface Specification, Version 3.1, December 2020
[9] Infineon Card Coil Calculator Tool (https://softwaretools.infineon.com/tools)
[10] Handbook of Agilent 4285A LCR Meter
[11] Handbook of Hewlett Packard 8753D Network Analyzer
[12] User Manual of Omicron Lab Bode 100 Network Analyzer, Version 6.0, 2017

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Glossary

Glossary
AC
alternating current (AC)
DUT
device under test (DUT)
IC
integrated circuit (IC)
PC
polycarbonate (PC)
PCD
proximity coupling device (PCD)
A reader device for NFC cards.
PCM
process control monitoring (PCM)
PICC
proximity integrated circuit card (PICC)
A contactless smart card which can be read without inserting it into a reader device
PVC
polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

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Revision history

Revision history
Reference Description
Revision 1.0, 2024-03-01
All Initial version

Application Note 33 Revision 1.0

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Trademarks
All referenced product or service names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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