Innovative Famoco Soft PoS Device ‘’Touch’’ Powered by Renesas NFC Solution

Famoco provides an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution with a range of secure, remotely managed Android™ devices and remotely controllable from a SaaS platform with key features like:

• Protecting user privacy with an Enterprise AndroidOS™
• Controlling access to the entrance of an event, a museum, or a company building without being burdened
• Accepting QR code and closed loop payments as well as NFC-enabled PoS payment, powered by Renesas solution.
• Supporting Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity

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With a focus on cybersecurity and data sovereignty, Famoco continually adapts to new regulations and attracts businesses from various sectors, including retail, telecommunications, NGOs, transportation, payment services, and SMEs.

Today, Famoco has more than 500,000 terminals deployed in over fifty countries.

Challenge

As part of the renewal of their product line, Famoco faced significant challenges during the design process, particularly with software integration and antenna design at the ODM side. They needed a reliable partner to provide technical support and high-quality components to meet their specific requirements such as:

• Integration of the NFC antenna (small antenna or behind the display)
• Soft PoS on Android (EMVCo application running on Android)
• BoM cost reduction

Solution

Famoco chose to implement the Renesas PTX130R NFC part in their latest mobile device ''Touch'', after conducting tests and market research. Benoit RAVIER Chief Commercial Officer of Famoco shared their thoughts on Renesas and their decision to choose PTX 130R as; "At Famoco, we are convinced that SoftPOS technology is disrupting the payment world well beyond consumer smartphones. That’s why we’ve chosen to rely on best-in-class NFC performance with Renesas' PTX130R, powering our new devices with Tap to Phone, Apple VAS, and Google Wallet support."

PTX130R enables Soft PoS application on Android OS with better NFC performance such as read range and better integration of the antenna in the PDA in addition to BoM cost reduction. In parallel the PTX130R Android SW stack also supports traditional NFC Forum and Apple VAS/ECP functionalities (extension module) with the capability to seamlessly switch between them.

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Renesas PTX130R Block Diagram

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The technical specifications of the Renesas part are a perfect match not only for their new device but also for future products with specific EMV requirements. Renesas provided valuable support throughout the project, addressing software-related issues in Austria, and assisting with antenna design in Shenzhen.

In addition, ''Touch '' equipped with Renesas NFC is one of the first PDA in the market adopting Soft PoS functionality (PoS payment capability)

Results

The collaboration with Renesas proved to be a game-changer for Famoco. The time saved in the initial testing, and evaluation phase, easier hardware/software integration and certification due to higher NFC performances reduced go-to-market time.

Additionally, several other key factors highlighted Renesas' value such as

• Quality of documentation (Application Notes for SW and HW/RF integration)
• High-quality development kits and tools (Easy-to-use GUI and SDK to integrate in different Host processors)
• Global support (Competent first-line support in China well synchronized with second-line support in Austria)
• Ability to understand and adapt to Famoco’s way of working (Effective communication with Famoco ODMs)
• Responsive and skilled team

Ferhaj Chowdhary, Product Manager at Famoco, stated, “Our latest product launch was very challenging with a short time to market and the introduction of a new partner for our NFC solution, Renesas PTX130R. With a powerful NFC reader, the Android SDK, and good support during the development phases, the partnership with Renesas has been a success. It helped us deliver a high-quality product that exceeded our expectations.”