Clarification on ST25TV NFC Capabilities for Mobile iOS Devices

[AndrewRae]

Hello ST Community,

Our company is preparing to begin a project segment for our mobile application that would involve switching to the ST25TV NFC chip specifically for its anti-cloning protection features. I am not a developer myself, but I would like to gather clarity and guidance as we scope this integration and determine whether the ST25TV chip is the best course forward, given the potential scope of implementation work.

We are aiming to:

• Implement TruST Digital Signature functionality.

• Enable read/write of URLs on ST25TV NFC tags.

• Work with the available SDK, noting that it does not currently provide iOS 17 + Swift code.

• Understand best practices for deployment on iOS mobile devices.

Our key inquiries are:

• Is there existing support for mobile ISO devices that we may have overlooked?

• What methods are developers using to integrate ST25TV NFC on iOS?

• What is the scale of work required (effort, complexity, timelines)?

• Does ST offer any alternative solutions that might better address these use cases?

Thank you in advance for your guidance.

[victor laraison · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your questions regarding iOS support for ST25TV NFC integration. 

1 - Existing Support for iOS Devices
STMicroelectronics provides a dedicated SDK for iOS, called the ST25SDK, which includes full support for the ST25TV family. The ST25SDK is built on top of Apple’s CoreNFC framework, ensuring native integration and optimal performance on iOS devices.

2 - Integration Methods for ST25TV NFC on iOS
Developers can integrate ST25TV NFC functionality on iOS using the ST25SDK, which is available in two formats:

• Source Code: For maximum flexibility and customization.
• iOS Framework: For straightforward integration into your projects.
  We utilize J2OBC technology to translate our Java-based Android ST25SDK into Objective-C for iOS, ensuring feature parity and consistency across both platforms. The SDK leverages CoreNFC to provide robust and reliable NFC tag interactions.

Additionally, we provide a sample iOS application, NFC Tap, which demonstrates how to use the SDK to support all ST25 tag families, including ST25TV. This app serves as a practical example and a starting point for your own development.

3. Effort, Complexity, and Timelines
The ST25SDK is designed to streamline development, significantly reducing both the complexity and the time required to implement NFC tag support on iOS. By using the SDK and the NFC Tap example app, developers can quickly prototype and deploy solutions, focusing on their specific use cases rather than low-level NFC communication details.

4. Alternative Solutions
At this time, the ST25SDK for iOS is our recommended and most comprehensive solution for integrating ST25TV and other ST25 tags on iOS devices. It is actively maintained and supported, ensuring compatibility with the latest iOS versions and devices.

In summary:

• ST25SDK for iOS (source code & framework) fully supports ST25TV and is based on CoreNFC.
  STSW-ST25IOS001 | Product - STMicroelectronics
• J2OBC is used to translate our Java Android SDK into Objective-C for iOS, ensuring feature consistency.
• NFC Tap app is available as a working example.
• The SDK simplifies integration, reducing development effort and timelines.
  This is the recommended solution for iOS NFC development with ST25 tags

If you need further technical details or access to the SDK and example app, please let us know!

[shuvrak]

Hello Victor,

Our app's function is to read a tag attached to a physical item and instantly confirm its status, in one session, specifically verify whether the item is ours or not. Also to make sure it's a genuine and not a copy. Can you please help us find the right ST tag & the correct process to achieve this functionality?

Thank you in advance for your guidance.