NFC implant as ignition key

With the boom of electric cars, more and more possibilities to unlock, start and even control your car via app emerged. Various manufacturers offer apps and RFID cards to open their models. Tesla For example. not only offers apps, but also makes use of RFID technology to unlock the vehicle using the company’s own RFID cards.

 

As a rule, any vehicle can be unlocked and started in this way. For this purpose, the card is read by an RFID reader located on the outside of the vehicle and verified by a controller. Since every RFID card and thus also NFC implant has a unique serial number, the medium can be assigned to an owner. If the card or the NFC implant is recognized, for example. a relay can be switched to activate the vehicle electronics or to start an ignition. From an electrotechnical point of view, nothing happens other than pressing a switch or start button.

 

We have demonstrated this on a motorcycle with the help of SPEX. An X2P Wifi controller is used, as well as an X2A Dot reading antenna. To prevent the battery ignition current from flowing through the controller, you should also opt for a ballast relay with sufficient amperes. In our ex. the current of the battery is used to start an ignition process of the starter. The relay of the controller thus switches the ballast relay, which in turn starts the ignition on the motorcycle. The controller is supplied with 12V DC voltage from the on-board electronics, while the RFID reading antenna X2A Dot is supplied with 12V DV voltage from the controller.