PN7160 not detecting Tag, low RF output

[chrButzi]

We are currently developing a solution which should have NFC reader capabilities, we are using the PN7160 and our connections are 1:1 as the OM27160A1HN eval board.

We are using the NCI2.0_LPC5556 example, but altered for our microcontroller (tml only).

Using this, the OM27160A is detecting tags and we are successfully communicating via i2c.

With our solution and the same firmware for the mcu, the PN7160 is not detecting any tags, however we are successfully communicating with the Pn7160 via i2c.

We have conneted our antenna design onto the OM27160As PN7160 instead of the onboard antenna, and the PN7160 was able to use it without modifications of the software and able to read tags.

Therefore it should not be a problem of the antenna design.

We adapted the NfcFactoryTestApp.c, so we can use it on a mcu. Using the "RF_ON" we can measure 8.8V peak to peak on a 13.56 MHz sine wave signal with our design.

Using the OM2760A with our Antenna we measure a 13.56 MHz sine wave with 9.6V peak to peak.

Using the "Dump" and "EEPROM Dump" and comparing the reigsters of the OM27160A registers with our Pn7160 registers, all RF settings are the same and all EEPROM settings are the same except the Ext. Tag 0xA0 0x01

Our design:
Ext.Tag 0xA0 0x01 => A0 01 10 00 00 00 00 00 33 80 A7 F2 40 64 85 03 61 16 64
OM27160A:
Ext.Tag 0xA0 0x01 => A0 01 10 00 00 00 00 00 33 80 A2 13 50 5C 02 CB 60 F6 35

However we werent able to identify the 0x01 Tag as the UM11495 starts documenting the propr. settings from 0xA0 0x02 onwards. What is this configuration and can i lead to our desgin failing?

OM27160A PN7160 FW version is 12.50.05 same as the FW on our design.

We attached the dump of our design.

We already checked hardware connections multiple times. What else can we check?

Thanks in advance.

[Tomas_Parizek]

Hello chrButzi, 

Can you enable Logs and share them with us, please? It would be helpful to see what´s going on once you try to read the tag. 

How to do it is described here -> Troubleshooting

https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/application-note/AN13892.pdf

Also, Can you share schematic of your PN7160 device, please? If confidential, send it via a priave message, please. 

BR

Tomas 

[Fabian_R]

Hello, 

Thank you for your interest in our products

Could you please clarify if you have been able to read the tag by using the PN7160 evaluation board without any modifications. This for me to discard the possibility of a porting issue.

Regarding the antenna you designed, even though the antenna had the same dimensions, it would be great to see the smith chart of the PCB design.

[chrButzi]

Thanks for your answer.

Yes we have been able to read a tag by using the PN7160 evaluation board (OM27160A) and our software port.

Our Antenna works with the OM27160As PN7160, therefore we dont think its not a antenna related problem. Can you give us information about the ext. Tag 0x01?

Thanks in advance