NFC Patch kit and Galaxy S3 phone

Tagged: Galaxy S3, NFC Patch Kit

Viewing 27 posts - 1 through 27 (of 27 total)

Author

Posts
November 9, 2015 at 6:13 pm #53726

Rilwan
Participant

Hi there,

I just set up the patch kit with the Galaxy S3 and it didn’t work. I’m I missing anything? I stuck one of the patch kit to the back of the phone right where the battery sits. Kindly let me know if there is any other thing I need to do to make it work.

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 9, 2015 at 7:27 pm #53727

Richard
Keymaster

Hi Rilwan, the NFC Patch Kit was designed for the Nexus 7 (2013) and hasn’t been tested with the Galaxy S3. You can likely make it work but without an S3 in our lab we can’t direct you on what to do. If you’d like to send us an S3 for us to assess the best way to mount the NFC Patch onto it, you can ship it to our office here:

Flomio, Inc.
7171 Bay Dr. Ste 9
Miami Beach, FL 33141

thanks,
Richard

November 10, 2015 at 10:23 am #53740

Rilwan
Participant

Hey Richard,

Thanks for the offer man! I just purchased a Nexus 7 tablet which I will use to test tonight. I’ll let you know if I have any issues.

Rilwan

November 10, 2015 at 11:05 am #53741

Rilwan
Participant

Hi Richard,

What is the benefit of rigging up multiple patch kit antennas like you did in this video?

Does it improve the sensitivity? Does it increase the scanning area? How do you rig them up together?

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 10, 2015 at 11:08 am #53742

Richard
Keymaster

Answered in this thread. Next time, try the search too in the side bar. It’s effective at answering your own questions from the Knowledge-base.

November 10, 2015 at 12:43 pm #53743

Rilwan
Participant

Richard,

I have read the thread, but it only provides a partial answer to my questions. In that thread you state that it is possible to connect three antennas to the same device but it is a hack. Would you kindly describe the process of connecting the three antenna to the same device as shown in this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3BbIDk8opk video.

To clarify, you shipped me the kit https://flomio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FullSizeRender-35.jpg. But you sell the following add on antenna https://flomio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AE_NFC_Patch.jpg. Do I need to just buy two more add on antenna? Would I need a special connector to hook all three antenna together? These are the details I need your assistance with.

I appreciate your help on this matter.

Rilwan.

November 10, 2015 at 3:14 pm #53744

Richard
Keymaster

Hey Rilwan, the NFC Patch Kit product has gone through a few iterations since the video you referenced. While it’s possible to hack the connectors to create a setup like shown, it’s much harder now than it was previously. This is mainly because we moved to a ribbon cable and replaced the twister wire pair we had before. This means that you’ll have to cut the ribbon cable and carefully expose the wire leads to be able to then splice out to 3 ribbon cable connectors. You can purchase the connectors from Digikey, you can use the surface mount style or the crimp style with separate pins.

If you’d like us to build some for you we can do that. We’ll need to order all the parts like you since we manufacture this product elsewhere but we have the tools and know how to make it right. Cost for parts would be $160 for the NFC Patch Kit and 2 separate NFC antennas. Cost for labor would be 3hrs for first and 0.5hrs for every subsequent unit at $150/hr.

hope that helps,
Richard

November 10, 2015 at 3:22 pm #53746

Rilwan
Participant

Hey Richard,

I’ll go for it. Let me know how to send you the fees to make one set.

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 10, 2015 at 3:27 pm #53747

Richard
Keymaster

You can send the payment via Paypal to info@flomio.com. Make sure to reference this Forum thread (use the entire URL in address bar). Also you’ll need to cover shipping/handling costs which is $10.60 for domestic USPS Priority shipping.

Based on our current work load we will need at least 5 business days to get this shipped out.

thanks,
Richard

November 10, 2015 at 3:58 pm #53748

Rilwan
Participant

I just sent you a Paypal payment for $620.60, to cover materials, labor, and shipping costs. I sent a copy of the receipt to you and Boris via email. In the email I provided the shipping address you should ship to. Don’t use the shipping address on the Paypal receipt.

Kindly send me the shipping tracking number when it ships.

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 10, 2015 at 5:51 pm #53752

Richard
Keymaster

Confirmed order receipt. Order will ship Tuesday, November 17th. Tracking number to follow.

best,
Richard

November 11, 2015 at 2:42 am #53758

Rilwan
Participant

Hey Richard,

I just tested my Nexus 7 with the NFC patch kit and it could not read the tag. I’m trying to read a round 25mm diameter NFC tag, the same one you successfully read with the patch kit in a couple of your videos.

I confirmed that NFC was working correctly on the Nexus by scanning the tag directly at the back of the Nexus with no problems. I tried a variety of antenna positions but none worked.

Kindly let me know what to do next. I’m a bit disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing it work!

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 2:49 am #53759

Richard
Keymaster

Can you post a video of your setup for me to review? Also, you made sure you have a Nexus 7 Gen2 from 2013 and not a newer model? You can see the product working as advertised on this video:

Check that all connections are secured. Make sure that the patch is affixed to the rear of the device over the “EXU” and spanning across the width of the device. Also make sure to fully reboot the device (hard power off, full power on) with the patch in place. (this is because the tablet runs through a calibration routine on hard power up to properly make the patch work.

let me know how it goes,
Richard

November 11, 2015 at 11:05 am #53762

Rilwan
Participant

I bought a brand new Nexus 7 yesterday so I could test the patch kit. It sounds like you are saying the patch kit only supports the 2013 version of the Nexus 7. What is the reason for this limitation? Is this something you are planning to resolve? Kindly explain.

Although you did mention the 2013 version limitation two messages ago, it may be a good idea to mention this limitation on the product details page https://flomio.com/shop/nfc-readers/nfc-patch-kit/ for the NFC patch kit so that folks are well aware before purchasing one.

What are my options now? Can you tune the patch kit to work with newer versions of the Nexus 7 or do I need to go find a 2013 version of the Nexus 7?

Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:09 am #53763

Rilwan
Participant

Actually, I did purchase a 2013 Nexus 7 tablet. Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/Nexus-Google-7-Inch-Black-Tablet/dp/B00DVFLJDS to the amazon page with the detailed description.

Kindly confirm that I did indeed buy the right version. If I did, then I need your help to figure out why it is not working. By the way, I tried all the suggestions you made in your last message and none of them worked.

Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:13 am #53764

Richard
Keymaster

The limitation is that each hardware design often has a different NFC antenna. The NFC Patch Kit was designed to match the Nexus 7 Gen2 (2013) so using it with a different device could or could not work. We would need to have all devices in house to test against, and that’s impractical.

I will add the 2013 version detail to the NFC Patch Kit product page. Sorry for the confusion.

Re: options now. We can definitely tune the NFC Patch Kit to work with any device that a customer provides us with but that will require engineering work and a new production run on the product. This is an expense that we can’t shoulder so it’s up to the customer to cover.

Please send us a video of your setup so we can diagnose the issue. We’ve sold hundreds of NFC Patch Kits to date and this is the first apparent failure so we’d like to understand what may be happening. If in the end the NFC Patch Kit doesn’t work for you, you can ship it back to us for a refund given the confusion about the Nexus 7 Gen2 (2013) dependency.

Flomio, Inc.
7171 Bay Dr. Ste 9
Miami Beach, FL 33141

thanks,
Richard

November 11, 2015 at 11:25 am #53765

Rilwan
Participant

As you can see from the amazon.com link I provided, this a Nexus 7 2013. How do I tell if it is a Gen 2 or otherwise?

How many engineering hours will it take for you to tune the Antenna to work with another Generation of Nexus 7?

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:33 am #53766

Rilwan
Participant

Actually, I just confirmed that there is no 3rd Generation Nexus 7. Look at this http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/10/3rd-gen-asus-nexus-7-tablet-on-the-table/ article. The tablet I bought on amazon is a 2nd generation Nexus 7 that should be compatible with your patch kit.

I don’t think we’ve got a hardware compatibility problem. Something is definitely up with the way I’m setting up the kit. I’ve followed your cues from the videos, so I don’t know what the problem can be. Do you have any diagnostic processes you use to troubleshoot issues like this??

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:42 am #53767

Rilwan
Participant

Just to confirm, I was shipped two identical antenna pads with a wire connecting them. That is, the antenna that goes to the back of the tablet looks identical to the one that the tag is scanned on. Is this correct?

Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:49 am #53768

Richard
Keymaster

I reviewed your amazon link and I believe you have the right hardware. Below is the exact model information etched on the back of the tablets we use in development, perhaps you can compare with your to make sure everything matches up. You’ll need a magnifying glass of some sort since it’s really tiny.

It takes us anywhere between 10-15hrs to do a retuning of the patches or antennas (non-inclusive). Then to manage a production run and effective quality control around another 8hrs depending on volumes ordered. A small production run of 50 units can cost $2500 but depends on lead time and a few other factors. Production costs per unit falls non-linearly as volumes increase.

thanks,
Richard

November 11, 2015 at 11:53 am #53772

Rilwan
Participant

You forgot to include the model information in your last message. Let me compare the model information and then we will take it from there.

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:58 am #53773

Rilwan
Participant

Ah. Your image link showed up late. The model information matches up with my Nexus 7. Hardware is fully compatible. What would you suggest I do next? By the way, how long ago did you purchase your Nexus 7 unit?

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 11:58 am #53774

Richard
Keymaster

Yes, both ends of the NFC Patch Kit are identical. The only thing I can think of is that you’re not sticking the patch on the back of the Nexus 7 properly. Either the orientation is off or there’s a gap being left between the patch and the back surface of the device. Also make sure that there are no crimps or cuts in the patches and cables. I would also check with as many different tags as you have (I’m sure you’re doing that already but to be sure) since tag quality is a big problem across the NFC industry. Finally I would check that the tablets tuning is on point by rebooting the device once everything else seems in order.

Again a video post would be very helpful to diagnose this problem better. Post to youtube and drop a link here.

November 11, 2015 at 12:01 pm #53775

Richard
Keymaster

I got our Nexus 7s back in 2013. Post the video and I’ll help you debug further.

best,
Richard

November 11, 2015 at 12:05 pm #53776

Rilwan
Participant

Sounds good. I will post a video in a few hours.

Thanks,
Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 3:40 pm #53781

Rilwan
Participant

I took your advise of testing other NFC tags and found the patch kit to work just fine with NTAG216 tags. The patch kit however could not read the NTAG213 tags. That was the problem!

Thanks for your assistance and patience in troubleshooting this issue. Here are a couple of pictures of my set up. Looks like i just need to stay away from NATG213 tags.

Rilwan

November 11, 2015 at 4:02 pm #53782

Rilwan
Participant

Set Up

Rilwan
Author

Posts