Today, Comprion has announced that the NFC Forum has validated Comprion’s NFC Forum Analog Test Solution as the first test tool for their latest test release. “The NFC Forum frequently updates its test release according to newest market and technology requirements. The new release, Test Release 10, includes new test cases that align the different contactless standards for NFC ticket readers and NFC mobile phones in public transport. With the validation of the first test solution, the ground is prepared for true interoperability,” explains Paula Hunter, Executive Director of the NFC Forum.

Claus Andre Madsen, Business Development Manager at Comprion explicates the background for these activities, “Although the relevant standards and specifications – ISO/IEC 14443, ISO/IEC 18092, EMVCo L1, and NFC Forum Analog – were built on the same technical foundations, they developed differences over time that led to some interoperability issues. The NFC Forum has taken the lead in achieving the harmonization of analog/RF and digital layer specifications for NFC mobile devices.”

Together with ISO, CEN, public transport organizations and the GSMA NFC working groups, the NFC Forum has created one common standard. “The NFC Forum Analog Technical Specification v2.0, published in June 2016 was aligned with ISO/IEC 14443 and ISO/IEC 18092. That’s a huge milestone”, Hunter adds proudly.

The corresponding NFC Forum test specification and test cases have been introduced to the GSMA TS.27 NFC Handset Test Book and added to the GCF (Global Certification Forum) Work Item 236 in June 2016. Starting in 2017, mobile device vendors will be required to certify devices according to the new test specifications. Ralph Kamp, Product Manager for NFC Forum Solutions at Comprion emphasizes, “We are the first to have managed the approval on time. The validated Comprion solution can already be used for device certification.” The automated Comprion solution for NFC Forum-approved compliance testing consists of the UT³ Platform terminal tester and an integrated 6-axis robot from Kawasaki.