How to Easily Define Measurement Volumes of NFC Readers

The Challenge

You intend to measure the magnetic field strength of an NFC reader. In order to obtain an accurate representation of the magnetic field, you need a great many measurements taken at defined positions. Of course, a robot is your method of choice because you want automated and easily repeatable scans. But how to define the course of the robot – fast and without headache? That’s when COMPRION comes into play.

 

The COMPRION Solution

One of the many useful features of COMPRION’s Design Validation Center is the Measurement Volume Designer. As the name suggests, it is an editor for defining the measurement volume: the realm of the robot. In no time, you can easily create your own volume using the convenient GUI. Additionally, you can check the volume immediately by fully-scalable visualizations. Sounds interesting? Then, read on.

 

Step 1

Open the Measurement Volume Designer and choose the appropriate option, for example, Rectangular Measurement Volume. Now, you can enter the parameters:

 

Set the measurement range (minimum to maximum) for all three dimensions and the number of positions, which are evenly distributed in the range.

 

Step 2

The measurement volume consists of test positions representing the coordinates for the robot. After entering the values, you can visualize the newly-defined measurement volume:

 

Each green cube in the figure above defines a test position that is approached during the measurement. You can zoom into the volume and change the perspective. You see if the volume meets your requirements. If necessary, you return to the Measurement Volume Designer for further adjustments.

 

More Options

Instead of scanning a single cuboid, Measurement Volume Designer offers two more options: You can combine several rectangular measurement volumes or specify a list of Cartesian test positions.
In this example, two rectangular measurement volumes have been combined:

 

 

By combining cuboids of different sizes following the design of your NFC reader, you can tailor the measurement volume more precisely – thus eliminating useless test positions, which would cost time and effort.

Alternatively, specify a list of Cartesian test positions by setting the coordinates (x, y, z) for each point individually. In this example, four test positions have been defined:

 

This method is extremely helpful to get a quick first impression of the magnetic field strength, because you can reduce the number of test positions to a minimum. However, you could also define as many test positions as needed to create a most accurate measurement volume for the design of your reader.

 

The Conclusion

Easily define measurement volumes for NFC readers with COMPRION’s Design Validation Center. It offers a user-friendly editor with intuitive handling and great visualization. And you can choose between different options for creating the perfect measurement volume meeting your individual requirements.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article/press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the approved policy or position of the GSMA or its subsidiaries.

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