Renesas and Panthronics Introduce New Cost- and Space-Saving Design for Secure Mobile PoS Terminals

Rhea-AI Summary

Panthronics AG and Renesas Electronics Corporation have unveiled a new design for mobile point-of-sale (mPoS) contactless payment terminals that promises significant cost and size advantages. Utilizing the PTX100R NFC Reader and RA6M4 secure MCU, the design eliminates the need for a discrete Secure Element, enabling manufacturers to save at least 10% on bill-of-materials costs. The system ensures compliance with EMVCo payment standards, boasting better performance without compromising security. The innovative design is set to be showcased at the forthcoming Trustech exhibition in Paris.

Positive

• The design can lead to at least a 10% reduction in bill-of-materials costs for manufacturers.
• Combines secure payment functions in a single MCU, enhancing both security and efficiency.
• Achieves compliance with EMVCo Level 1 and Level 2 standards.

Negative

• None.

Streamlined design for EMVCo 3.0-compliant contactless payment terminal is based on PTX100R NFC reader and Renesas RA Family secure MCU, avoiding the need for a discrete Secure Element or a dedicated – and expensive – PoS system-on-chip

GRAZ, Austria & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Panthronics AG, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high performance wireless technology, and Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced a new design which provides manufacturers of secure mobile point-of-sale (mPoS) contactless payment terminals with a new way to reduce the size and the bill-of-materials cost of their products without compromising performance or security.

Renesas and Panthronics Introduce New Secure, Cost-Saving Concept for mPoS Terminals (Graphic: Business Wire)

The companies are demonstrating the new mPoS design at the Panthronics stand 5.2 B041 at the Trustech exhibition (Paris, France, 30 November-2 December 2021).

The design is based on Panthronics’ PTX100R NFC Reader IC for contactless communication, and the Renesas RA6M4 general-purpose secure microcontroller (MCU). The RA6M4 MCU, which has an Arm® Cortex®-M33 CPU with TrustZone technology and integrated security IP, performs all the cryptographic, key management and other security functions required for compliance with the stringent Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards and the EMVCo Level 2 standard for contactless payments. EMVCo Level 1-compliant software runs in the PTX100R.

This design based on a secure MCU offers substantial cost and size advantages over conventional mPoS terminal designs. Today, mPoS terminals feature either a combination of a general-purpose MCU with a discrete Secure Element, or a dedicated PoS-specific system-on-chip (SoC) with built-in security functions. The Panthronics/Renesas solution is superior to both:

• It eliminates the need for a discrete Secure Element by implementing secure payment functions inside the RA6M4. This reduces bill-of-materials cost and saves space on the board. It also strengthens security, because the vulnerable communications path between a discrete Secure Element and host MCU is also eliminated.
• The RA6M4 is a lower-cost component than a dedicated SoC, and is widely available with no security of supply concerns.

Markus Vomfelde, European Senior Manager for MCU Business Development at Renesas, said: “Security, cost and size are the key concerns for manufacturers of the next generation of mPoS terminals, as they battle for market share in a highly competitive market. By proving that an mPoS terminal based on a standard MCU can be fully compliant with all the relevant security and payment industry standards, Renesas and Panthronics have demonstrated a new way for terminal manufacturers to gain a competitive edge while meeting customer demand for security, functionality and performance. We are confident that with this solution, mPoS terminal manufacturers can achieve a BoM cost saving of at least 10% compared to typical designs in production today.”

Comprehensive design supports rapid new product development

The mPoS solution implements a comprehensive set of payment terminal functions, including EMVCo Level 1 and Level 2 ready software. This means that it provides an effective platform for terminal manufacturers to verify the concept’s compliance with the EMVCo standard, and to complete rapid design integration based on the hardware and software components supplied by Renesas and Panthronics.

The design includes a space-saving antenna which surrounds the display screen, a configuration which is only possibly because of the robust connectivity performance of the PTX100R card reader. The PXT100R’s unique sine wave architecture results in industry-best sensitivity and transmission strength, boosting the terminal’s signal-to-noise ratio and allowing for reliable coupling with payment cards or mobile phones in all usage conditions, and via an antenna placed close to an electrically noisy display.

The solution consists of two boards:

• EK-RA6M4 evaluation kit for the RA6M4 MCU
• PTX100R reader/display shield board

The design is expected to be available to buy from Renesas as a complete evaluation kit in early 2022. Customers looking to begin designs immediately can contact Renesas sales directly.

About Panthronics

Founded in 2014, Panthronics AG (PTX) is an established semiconductor product company with over 40 staff headquartered in Graz, Austria. It develops differentiated wireless solutions from the ground up for POS, IoT and wireless charging applications. Panthronics’ website is at www.panthronics.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live. A global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power, and SoC products, Renesas provides comprehensive solutions for a broad range of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications that help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

All names of products or services mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211124005644/en/

Press contact:

Rhianna Ogle, TKO Marketing Consultants

Tel: +44 1444 473555

Mobile: +44 7866 997774

Email: rhianna@tko.co.uk

Americas

Don Parkman

Renesas Electronics Corporation

+ 1-408-887-4308

don.parkman.xh@renesas.com

Source: Renesas Electronics Corporation

FAQ

What new technology did Panthronics and Renesas introduce for mPoS terminals?

Panthronics and Renesas introduced a design that reduces size and material costs for mPoS terminals using the PTX100R NFC Reader and RA6M4 secure MCU.

How much cost savings can manufacturers expect from the new mPoS design?

Manufacturers can expect at least a 10% reduction in bill-of-materials costs with the new mPoS design.

Where is the new mPoS terminal design being showcased?

The new mPoS terminal design will be showcased at the Trustech exhibition in Paris, running from November 30 to December 2, 2021.

What security standards does the new mPoS solution comply with?

The new mPoS solution complies with EMVCo Level 1 and Level 2 standards, ensuring robust payment security.

Why is the new design beneficial for terminal manufacturers?

The new design allows terminal manufacturers to save costs, reduce size, and enhance security without the need for a separate Secure Element.