NXP Launches NFC-enabled "Smart" Car Key

Pioneering the market for "smart" car keys, NXP Semiconductors N.V. has unveiled its production-ready single-chip solution for multifunction car keys – the NCF2970 (KEyLink Lite). Enhancing the functionality of car keys by supporting the Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, NXP’s KEyLink Lite enables car manufacturers to offer a new driving experience with keys that connect to external NFC-compliant devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops.

The launch of KEyLink Lite is timed to take advantage of the growing popularity and availability of NFC. Drivers will be able to simply wave their car key over an NFC-compliant mobile device to access essential and useful car data. Based on NFC standards, and utilizing the 13.56MHz frequency and cryptography such as Hitag-3 or AES-128, KEyLink Lite provides secure storage and enables communication of sensitive data. KEyLink Lite uniquely combines NFC capabilities and NXP’s industry-leading Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) and Passive Keyless Entry (PKE) technologies. This allows NFC-compliant mobile devices to edit and view data stored on a car key and opens many new use cases.

KEyLink Lite can be deployed in five new driver-friendly applications: car finder, route planner, car status and service data management,car self diagnosis, and car personalization.

NXP has integrated the ISO/IEC 14443 Type A interface into the automotive IC NCF2970. In addition to immobilizer and Passive Keyless Entry/Go functions, this device allows contactless data exchange with NFC-compliant devices via a standardized 13.56 MHz wireless link. The NXP KEyLink Lite solution includes a low-frequency (125kHz) front-end for the immobilizer and Passive Keyless Entry/Go systems, and works with an external UHF transmitter (315 to 928MHz) for both Remote Keyless Entry and Passive Keyless Entry/Go systems.

The KEyLink Lite chip features a low-power high-speed RISC core with up to 32kB user EROM for customer applications, 6kB EEPROM for application specific user data, operating at a wide supply voltage range from 2V to 3.6V.

NXP Semiconductors