Certification with external antennas

The antenna is the RF emitter of the VTAP reader, so a change of antenna will always require some re‑testing of radio emissions, EMC and application performance.

• The VTAP50‑OEM reader board has been tested for EMC and radio emissions, and approved for modular certification for various regions with its integrated loop antenna. So if you are using a VTAP50‑OEM after removing the built‑in antenna, or a VTAP50‑MOD, with an external NFC antenna, then that new arrangement will require some testing to retain certifications.

• The VTAP25‑MOD is approved on a host board with a reference antenna, and every new use will require some testing to retain certifications.

Here we only summarise key certification and compliance considerations related to a simple antenna change. Refer to the VTAP Application Note on RF Compliance for more detailed information.

Radio emissions and EMC

In all cases there will need to be confidence testing with all emitters running, and EMC testing of the complete equipment.

Always design with at least 20cm clearance between the VTAP antenna and any other RF transmitters in nearby devices, to avoid electromagnetic interference between equipment, and to comply with the FCC/ISED certification for the VTAP50. Be aware that more clearance may be required if the external antenna is particularly sensitive.

If there are other RF transmitters within the same host equipment, then confidence testing for maximum permissible exposure (MPE) and co-location will also be required. This is to ensure that the emissions of both VTAP reader and the other transmitter(s) remain within the range of their original test reports, and that there is no interference between the VTAP reader and the other transmitter(s).

For FCC and ISED, there is a simplified process called a Class II permissive change application, which would be sufficient to extend FCC/ISED certification when the change to a product has minimal impact on RF performance. The permissive change application would need to be made through Dot Origin, as the original grant holder. We have already taken a number of customers through this process and are familiar with what is required.

In many other regions, even when it is only the antenna that has changed, the integrator will need to follow the appropriate certification process in full. For UKCA or CE certification that will mean testing and collating a technical file, albeit a relatively simple one. If you contact vtap‑support@dotorigin.com we can supply a Declaration of Conformity and original test reports (under NDA) for the VTAP reader component, as input to your technical file.

Apple VAS

For VAS applications Apple reserves the right to review the final form factor of the reader, to ensure that satisfactory performance and user experience is maintained.

Apple ECP2/Access

For ECP2 applications it is essential that the new equipment hosting a VTAP reader board or module is tested and certified against Apple Access specifications. This includes ensuring that the read range meets their minimum distance requirements (40mm at 0 degrees in both Express and CDCVM modes) and reads successfully, without a minimum distance requirement, at various presentation angles of the phone. The reader needs to be tested against all the different categories of iPhone and Apple Watch, as required by Apple. Apple may also require on-site functional testing as part of the end‑to‑end certification of an Apple Access deployment, which is usually conducted by the Credential Manager.

Google Smart Tap

We recommended that you test the complete equipment with several different makes and models of Android phone that are common in your region, as the antennas in these phones are variable and in a variety of positions in the handset. These factors will affect the user experience.