NFC Forum Compliance Program Overview

Application Testing:New Challenge of NFC Forum Certification

Koichiro Wada

9th February, 2016

Tokyo

Agenda

• Why Certify?

• Conformance Testing: Certified Devices

• Interoperability Testing: Plugfest

• Next Step: For Better Interoperability (IOP)

• Conclusion

Why Certify?

NFC has Complexity, Diversity and Hardware Immutability!

… 3 Technologies… 3 Modes… 3 Antenna Classes… 4 Tags

Two Types of Testing Program

• The Certification Program– Conformance Testing

– Test your target device with the NFC Forum Certified Test Tool

– Check if your device fulfil technical specifications

– Pass all test cases, and receive certification proof allow to use a logo

• The Plugfest– Interoperability Testing

– Join testing events 3 times per year hosted by the NFC Forum

– Test against other teams NFC device or Device Libraries

– Check if your device communicate successfully to all other NFC devices

Conformance Testing

5

Certification

Plugfests

Compliance Committee

Devices already certified

Mobile Phones

Reference Chips Implementation

Wearable

In TotalOver 120 devices

Desktop Reader/Writer

Note PC/Tablet

http://certification.nfc-forum.org/certification_register/

Digital Testing

HostComputer

Test ToolHardware

Implementation Under Test(IUT)

Test scenario operation software

Device Test Application(DTA)

Testscenario

Lower Tester (LT)

Requirement document

Device Under Test

(DUT)

NFC basicfunction software

Test Tool runs test scenario instructing DTA, decides path or fail by monitoring RF communication log

Analog Testing

• 6 types of Reference Device Poller/Listener

• RF communication measurement by equipping to test tool

POLLER-3

(46 x 32 mm)

LISTNER-1

(70 x 40 mm)

LISTNER-3

(46 x 32 mm)

LISTNER-6

(25 x 20 mm)

POLLER-6

(25 x 20 mm)

Reference Device Listener

Reference Device Poller

POLLER-0

(90 x 90 mm)

Improvement of Test Release

Mar 2016TR2015-BValidated

CY11CY10 CY12 CY13

Agilent, Clear2PayValidated

CY14 CY15

ComplianceCommittee

Test ReleaseDevelopment

ValidationHouse

Test ToolMeasurement

W1R0Release

W2R0Release

W2R1Release

W2R2Release

MicroprossValidated

SNEP/LLCP Phase 1 & RF Validated

1st Wave Validation

1st Wave (Digital/TagOp.)

2nd Wave (LLCP/SNEP/RF)

2nd Wave Validation

Activity

W1R2Release

Plugfest event (３times / Year)

SNEP/LLCP Phase 2Validated

CY16

Digital & Activity v1.1

LLCP v1.2

Digital, Activity & RF v2.0, LLCP v1.3, Tag

v1.0

Validation for TR2015-B

New Test ReleaseTR2015-B Roll Out

Feb 2016

Tokyo Plugfest

• Phase-in Test Release development and validation• Latest Test Release (TR2015-B) will be validated soon

Interoperability Testing

10

Certification

Plugfests

Compliance Committee

• Product incompatibility though same protocol implemented (e.g. Android, Windows)

• Enhancing Plugfest such as joint hosting with other SDO (e.g. Bluetooth SIG)

What is a Plugfest?

• Objective– Play and Test to check if target device works properly with

appointed use case

– Measurement with device under test brought by participant

– Both of member or non-member company is able to join

• World Tour– 1 week event, 3 times per Year

– In Europe, Asia and North America

• Mar 2015 Barcelona, SPAIN (Host: LGAI Applus)

• Jun 2015 Shanghai, CHINA (Host: TA Technology)

• Oct 2015 Vancouver, CANADA

• Feb 2016 Tokyo, JAPAN (Host: Sony)

From the Past Plugfests

• Match-up by teams in each table (1 team: 1-3 person)• 2 hours for each slot, 4 slots per a day• Daily updated schedule: generated with progress of team improvement

Event photo from the 2016 Tokyo Plugfest at Sony facility Sample of Time Schedule

Product Libraries Free to Use

NFC Forum Testing Tag Library Device Library

GSMA Testing Tag Library EMVCo Acceptance Terminal

Lesson Learned: Identified Issues

• Various findings – In P2P testing, measurement showed mis-implementation for both

sides, and also technical spec/test spec issue

– Trouble minimized for NFC-F implementation by continuous direct communication with chip manufacturers through ‘Plugfest’

– Keeping updated in case of essential problem by providing tag device or final product to Plugfest library

• Complement of the conformance testing– Mis-interpretation on NDEF Data definition of Bluetooth Handover

• No conformance test case to check NDEF Data interpretation

– Coupling issue caused by antenna size• Huge tablet antenna and small CE product antenna

– Device configuration issue• Operation of configuration is out scope

Next Step: For Better IOP

15

InteroperabilityTesting

ConformanceTesting

NFC Tag Device

BT

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HO

Analog

Digital

NFC Generic Device

Analog

Digital

BT

Au

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Co

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HO

Tran

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Tag Testing Q4’16BT CHO Q3’16 Transport TBDExisting Conformance

Interoperability

Target

Application:Bluetooth Audio Connection Handover

• Testing of NFC device against reference samples

• Complement of the conformance certification– Inherit the chip conformance certification

– Just verifies it passes a list of interoperability scenarios

• To start October 2016 with:– Bluetooth Audio Connection Handover

Harmonization:Public Transport Mobile Requirement

• Issue Surfaced– Multiple Contactless Requirements for Mobile Phone

– Joint Workshop by NFC Forum, GSMA, CEN, STA and JR East

– Consensus to harmonize RF Analog Requirement in global base by taking over 4 times of studies/negotiations

• Joint Announcement“The GSMA, NFC Forum, STA, and CEN TC278 WG3 have initiated an alliance to bring about harmonization of our specifications with regard to NFC technology for the public transport industry. We welcome industry participation in this effort and encourage you to contact one of the primary parties listed above.”

Application: Public Transport

• Under preparation a new “speciality track” for Public

Transportation Plugfest

• Discussion item of the joint workshop by NFC

Forum/GSMA/CEN/Smart Ticketing Alliance/JR East

• Ongoing discussion with JR East (Japan) and VDV

(Germany) to organise 2 interoperability test events:

– In Europe middle of 2016

– In Japan beginning of 2017

Conclusion

• The NFC Forum provides– Conformance testing to ensure NFC operation for

3 technologies/3 modes/3 Antenna/4 Tags

– Plugfest for device interoperability 3 times/year

• Next step is– Test case improvement

– Certification track: Bluetooth Audio ConnectionHandover

– Plugfest: Public Transport in 2016/17

Thank you