MFRC522

MFRC522
Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution

Rev. 3.8 17 September 2014
112138
Product data sheet

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1. Introduction
This document describes the functionality and electrical specifications of the contactless
reader/writer MFRC522.
Remark: The MFRC522 supports all variants of the MIFARE Mini, MIFARE 1K,
MIFARE 4K, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE DESFire EV1 and MIFARE Plus RF
identification protocols. To aid readability throughout this data sheet, the MIFARE Mini,
MIFARE 1K, MIFARE 4K, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE DESFire EV1 and MIFARE Plus
products and protocols have the generic name MIFARE.
2. General description
The MFRC522 is a highly integrated reader/writer IC for contactless communication
at 13.56 MHz. The MFRC522 reader supports ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE mode.
The MFRC522s internal transmitter is able to drive a reader/writer antenna designed to
communicate with ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE cards and transponders without additional
active circuitry. The receiver module provides a robust and efficient implementation for
demodulating and decoding signals from ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE compatible cards and
transponders. The digital module manages the complete ISO/IEC 14443 A framing and
error detection (parity and CRC) functionality.
The MFRC522 supports MF1xxS20, MF1xxS70 and MF1xxS50 products. The MFRC522
supports contactless communication and uses MIFARE higher transfer speeds up to
848 kBd in both directions.
The following host interfaces are provided:
Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

Serial UART (similar to RS232 with voltage levels dependant on pin voltage supply)
I2C-bus interface
2.1 Differences between version 1.0 and 2.0
The MFRC522 is available in two versions:
MFRC52201HN1, hereafter referred to version 1.0 and

MFRC52202HN1, hereafter referred to version 2.0.
The MFRC522 version 2.0 is fully compatible to version 1.0 and offers in addition the
following features and improvements:
MFRC522
NXP Semiconductors
Increased stability of the reader IC in rough conditions

An additional timer prescaler, see Section 8.5.
A corrected CRC handling when RX Multiple is set to 1
This data sheet version covers both versions of the MFRC522 and describes the
differences between the versions if applicable.
3. Features and benefits

Highly integrated analog circuitry to demodulate and decode responses
Buffered output drivers for connecting an antenna with the minimum number of
external components
Supports ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE
Typical operating distance in Read/Write mode up to 50 mm depending on the
antenna size and tuning
Supports MF1xxS20, MF1xxS70 and MF1xxS50 encryption in Read/Write mode
Supports ISO/IEC 14443 A higher transfer speed communication up to 848 kBd
Supports MFIN/MFOUT
Additional internal power supply to the smart card IC connected via MFIN/MFOUT
Supported host interfaces
SPI up to 10 Mbit/s
I2C-bus interface up to 400 kBd in Fast mode, up to 3400 kBd in High-speed mode
RS232 Serial UART up to 1228.8 kBd, with voltage levels dependant on pin
voltage supply
FIFO buffer handles 64 byte send and receive
Flexible interrupt modes
Hard reset with low power function
Power-down by software mode
Programmable timer
Internal oscillator for connection to 27.12 MHz quartz crystal
2.5 V to 3.3 V power supply
CRC coprocessor
Programmable I/O pins
Internal self-test
4. Quick reference data

Table 1.
Quick reference data
Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
VDDA
analog supply voltage
VDDD
digital supply voltage
VDD(PVDD) VDDA = VDDD = VDD(TVDD);

VSSA = VSSD = VSS(PVSS) = VSS(TVSS) = 0 V
[1][2]
VDD(TVDD) TVDD supply voltage

[3]
VDD(PVDD) PVDD supply voltage

VDD(SVDD) SVDD supply voltage
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All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers.

112138
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
2.5
3.3
3.6
2.5
3.3
3.6
2.5
3.3
3.6
1.6
1.8
3.6
1.6
3.6
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Table 1.
Quick reference data continued
Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Ipd
power-down current
VDDA = VDDD = VDD(TVDD) = VDD(PVDD) = 3 V
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
hard power-down; pin NRSTPD set LOW
[4]
soft power-down; RF level detector on
[4]
10
IDDD
digital supply current
pin DVDD; VDDD = 3 V
6.5
mA
IDDA
analog supply current
pin AVDD; VDDA = 3 V, CommandReg registers

RcvOff bit = 0
10
mA
pin AVDD; receiver switched off; VDDA = 3 V,

CommandReg registers RcvOff bit = 1
mA
[5]
40
mA
[6][7][8]
60
100
mA
25
+85
IDD(PVDD)
PVDD supply current
pin PVDD
IDD(TVDD)
TVDD supply current
pin TVDD; continuous wave
Tamb
ambient temperature
HVQFN32
[1]
Supply voltages below 3 V reduce the performance in, for example, the achievable operating distance.
[2]
VDDA, VDDD and VDD(TVDD) must always be the same voltage.
[3]
VDD(PVDD) must always be the same or lower voltage than VDDD.
[4]
Ipd is the total current for all supplies.
[5]
IDD(PVDD) depends on the overall load at the digital pins.
[6]
IDD(TVDD) depends on VDD(TVDD) and the external circuit connected to pins TX1 and TX2.
[7]
During typical circuit operation, the overall current is below 100 mA.
[8]
Typical value using a complementary driver configuration and an antenna matched to 40 between pins TX1 and TX2 at 13.56 MHz.
5. Ordering information
Table 2.
Ordering information
Type number
Package
Name
Description
Version
MFRC52201HN1/TRAYB[1]
HVQFN32 plastic thermal enhanced very thin quad flat package; no leads;
32 terminal; body 5 5 0.85 mm
SOT617-1
MFRC52201HN1/TRAYBM[2]
SOT617-1
MFRC52202HN1/TRAYB[1]
SOT617-1
MFRC52202HN1/TRAYBM[2]
SOT617-1
[1]
Delivered in one tray.
[2]
Delivered in five trays.
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6. Block diagram
The analog interface handles the modulation and demodulation of the analog signals.
The contactless UART manages the protocol requirements for the communication
protocols in cooperation with the host. The FIFO buffer ensures fast and convenient data
transfer to and from the host and the contactless UART and vice versa.
Various host interfaces are implemented to meet different customer requirements.
REGISTER BANK
ANTENNA
ANALOG
INTERFACE
CONTACTLESS
UART
FIFO
BUFFER
SERIAL UART
SPI
I2C-BUS
HOST
001aaj627
Fig 1.
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Simplified block diagram of the MFRC522

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D6/ADR_0/
D4/ADR_2
MOSI/MX
D5/ADR_1/
D7/SCL/
D3/ADR_3
SCK/DTRQ
MISO/TX
D2/ADR_4
SDA/NSS/RX
EA
24
I2C
32
D1/ADR_5
25
27
26
30
29
28
PVDD PVSS
2
31
3
VOLTAGE
MONITOR
AND
POWER ON
DETECT
SPI, UART, I2C-BUS INTERFACE CONTROL
4
15
18
FIFO CONTROL
DVDD
DVSS
AVDD
AVSS
STATE MACHINE
64-BYTE FIFO
BUFFER
COMMAND REGISTER
RESET
CONTROL
PROGRAMABLE TIMER
POWER-DOWN
CONTROL
CONTROL REGISTER
BANK
23
INTERRUPT CONTROL
MIFARE CLASSIC UNIT
CRC16
GENERATION AND CHECK
RANDOM NUMBER
GENERATOR
PARALLEL/SERIAL
CONVERTER
NRSTPD
IRQ
BIT COUNTER
PARITY GENERATION AND CHECK
FRAME GENERATION AND CHECK
BIT DECODING
BIT ENCODING
7
8
SERIAL DATA SWITCH
AMPLITUDE
RATING
ANALOG TO DIGITAL
CONVERTER
REFERENCE
VOLTAGE
ANALOG TEST
MULTIPLEXOR
AND
DIGITAL TO
ANALOG
CONVERTER
16
19
20
VMID AUX1 AUX2
Fig 2.
I-CHANNEL
AMPLIFIER
Q-CHANNEL
AMPLIFIER
I-CHANNEL
DEMODULATOR
Q-CHANNEL
DEMODULATOR
21
CLOCK
GENERATION,
FILTERING AND
DISTRIBUTION
OSCILLATOR
Q-CLOCK
GENERATION
TEMPERATURE
SENSOR
22
MFIN
MFOUT
SVDD
OSCIN
OSCOUT
TRANSMITTER CONTROL
17
RX
10, 14
TVSS
11
TX1
13
TX2
12
TVDD
001aak602
Detailed block diagram of the MFRC522
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25 D1/ADR_5
26 D2/ADR_4
27 D3/ADR_3
28 D4/ADR_2
29 D5/ADR_1/SCK/DTRQ
30 D6/ADR_0/MOSI/MX
31 D7/SCL/MISO/TX
32 EA
7. Pinning information
I2C
24 SDA/NSS/RX
PVDD
23 IRQ
DVDD
22 OSCOUT
DVSS
PVSS
NRSTPD
19 AUX1
MFIN
18 AVSS
MFOUT
17 RX
21 OSCIN
VMID 16
20 AUX2
AVDD 15
TVSS 14
TX2 13
TVDD 12
TX1 11
9
SVDD
TVSS 10
MFRC522
001aaj819
Transparent top view
Fig 3.
Pinning configuration HVQFN32 (SOT617-1)
7.1 Pin description

Table 3.
Pin description
Pin
Symbol
Type[1] Description
I2C
I2C-bus enable input[2]
PVDD
pin power supply
DVDD
digital power supply
DVSS
digital ground[3]
PVSS
pin power supply ground
NRSTPD
reset and power-down input:

power-down: enabled when LOW; internal current sinks are switched off, the oscillator
is inhibited and the input pins are disconnected from the outside world
reset: enabled by a positive edge
MFIN
MIFARE signal input
MFOUT
MIFARE signal output
SVDD
MFIN and MFOUT pin power supply
10
TVSS
transmitter output stage 1 ground
11
TX1
transmitter 1 modulated 13.56 MHz energy carrier output
12
TVDD
transmitter power supply: supplies the output stage of transmitters 1 and 2
13
TX2
transmitter 2 modulated 13.56 MHz energy carrier output
14
TVSS
transmitter output stage 2 ground
15
AVDD
analog power supply
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Table 3.
Pin description continued
Pin
Symbol
Type[1] Description
16
VMID
internal reference voltage
17
RX
RF signal input
18
AVSS
analog ground
19
AUX1
auxiliary outputs for test purposes
20
AUX2
auxiliary outputs for test purposes
21
OSCIN
crystal oscillator inverting amplifier input; also the input for an externally generated clock
(fclk = 27.12 MHz)
22
OSCOUT
crystal oscillator inverting amplifier output
23
IRQ
interrupt request output: indicates an interrupt event
24
SDA
I/O
I2C-bus serial data line input/output[2]
NSS
SPI signal input[2]
RX
UART address input[2]
D1
I/O
test port[2]
ADR_5
I/O
I2C-bus address 5 input[2]
D2
I/O
test port
ADR_4
D3
I/O
test port
ADR_3
D4
I/O
test port
ADR_2
D5
I/O
test port
ADR_1
SCK
SPI serial clock input[2]
DTRQ
UART request to send output to microcontroller[2]
D6
I/O
test port
ADR_0
MOSI
I/O
SPI master out, slave in[2]
MX
UART output to microcontroller[2]
D7
I/O
test port
SCL
I/O
I2C-bus clock input/output[2]
MISO
I/O
SPI master in, slave out[2]
TX
UART data output to microcontroller[2]
EA
external address input for coding I2C-bus address[2]
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
[1]
Pin types: I = Input, O = Output, I/O = Input/Output, P = Power and G = Ground.
[2]
The pin functionality of these pins is explained in Section 8.1 Digital interfaces.
[3]
Connection of heatsink pad on package bottom side is not necessary. Optional connection to pin DVSS is possible.
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8. Functional description
The MFRC522 transmission module supports the Read/Write mode for
ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE using various transfer speeds and modulation protocols.
BATTERY
MFRC522
ISO/IEC 14443 A CARD
MICROCONTROLLER
contactless card
reader/writer
Fig 4.
001aak583
MFRC522 Read/Write mode
The physical level communication is shown in Figure 5.
(1)
ISO/IEC 14443 A
READER
ISO/IEC 14443 A CARD

(2)
MFRC522
001aak584
(1) Reader to card 100 % ASK, Miller encoded, transfer speed 106 kBd to 848 kBd.
(2) Card to reader subcarrier load modulation, Manchester encoded or BPSK, transfer speed 106 kBd
to 848 kBd.
Fig 5.
ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE Read/Write mode communication diagram
The physical parameters are described in Table 4.

Table 4.
Communication overview for ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE reader/writer
Communication
direction
Signal type
Reader to card (send

data from the
MFRC522 to a card)
Card to reader
(MFRC522 receives
data from a card)
Transfer speed
106 kBd
212 kBd
424 kBd
848 kBd
reader side
modulation
100 % ASK
100 % ASK
100 % ASK
100 % ASK
bit encoding
modified Miller
encoding
modified Miller
encoding
modified Miller
encoding
modified Miller
encoding
bit length
128 (13.56 s)
64 (13.56 s)
32 (13.56 s)
16 (13.56 s)
card side
modulation
subcarrier load
modulation
subcarrier load
modulation
subcarrier load
modulation
subcarrier load
modulation
subcarrier
frequency
13.56 MHz / 16
13.56 MHz / 16
13.56 MHz / 16
13.56 MHz / 16
bit encoding
Manchester
encoding
BPSK
BPSK
BPSK
The MFRC522s contactless UART and dedicated external host must manage the
complete ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE protocol. Figure 6 shows the data coding and
framing according to ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE.
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ISO/IEC 14443 A framing at 106 kBd

start
8-bit data
8-bit data
odd
parity
start bit is 1
8-bit data
odd
parity
odd
parity
ISO/IEC 14443 A framing at 212 kBd, 424 kBd and 848 kBd
start
8-bit data
even
parity
8-bit data
odd
parity
start bit is 0
8-bit data
odd
parity
burst of 32
subcarrier clocks
even parity at the

end of the frame
001aak585
Fig 6.
Data coding and framing according to ISO/IEC 14443 A
The internal CRC coprocessor calculates the CRC value based on ISO/IEC 14443 A
part 3 and handles parity generation internally according to the transfer speed. Automatic
parity generation can be switched off using the MfRxReg registers ParityDisable bit.
8.1 Digital interfaces

8.1.1 Automatic microcontroller interface detection
The MFRC522 supports direct interfacing of hosts using SPI, I2C-bus or serial UART
interfaces. The MFRC522 resets its interface and checks the current host interface type
automatically after performing a power-on or hard reset. The MFRC522 identifies the host
interface by sensing the logic levels on the control pins after the reset phase. This is done
using a combination of fixed pin connections. Table 5 shows the different connection
configurations.
Table 5.
Pin
MFRC522
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Connection protocol for detecting different interface types

Interface type
UART (input)
SPI (output)
I2C-bus (I/O)
SDA
RX
NSS
SDA
I2C
EA
EA
D7
TX
MISO
SCL
D6
MX
MOSI
ADR_0
D5
DTRQ
SCK
ADR_1
D4
ADR_2
D3
ADR_3
D2
ADR_4
D1
ADR_5

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8.1.2 Serial Peripheral Interface

A serial peripheral interface (SPI compatible) is supported to enable high-speed
communication to the host. The interface can handle data speeds up to 10 Mbit/s. When
communicating with a host, the MFRC522 acts as a slave, receiving data from the
external host for register settings, sending and receiving data relevant for RF interface
communication.
An interface compatible with SPI enables high-speed serial communication between the
MFRC522 and a microcontroller. The implemented interface is in accordance with the SPI
standard.
The timing specification is given in Section 14.1 on page 78.
MFRC522
SCK
SCK
MOSI
MOSI
MISO
MISO
NSS
NSS
001aak586
Fig 7.
SPI connection to host
The MFRC522 acts as a slave during SPI communication. The SPI clock signal SCK must
be generated by the master. Data communication from the master to the slave uses the
MOSI line. The MISO line is used to send data from the MFRC522 to the master.
Data bytes on both MOSI and MISO lines are sent with the MSB first. Data on both MOSI
and MISO lines must be stable on the rising edge of the clock and can be changed on the
falling edge. Data is provided by the MFRC522 on the falling clock edge and is stable
during the rising clock edge.
8.1.2.1
SPI read data

Reading data using SPI requires the byte order shown in Table 6 to be used. It is possible
to read out up to n-data bytes.
The first byte sent defines both the mode and the address.
Table 6.
MOSI and MISO byte order
Line
Byte 0
Byte 1
Byte 2
To
Byte n
Byte n + 1
MOSI
address 0
address 1
address 2
...
address n
00
MISO
X[1]
data 0
data 1
...
data n 1
data n
[1]
X = Do not care.
Remark: The MSB must be sent first.
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8.1.2.2
SPI write data

To write data to the MFRC522 using SPI requires the byte order shown in Table 7. It is
possible to write up to n data bytes by only sending one address byte.
The first send byte defines both the mode and the address byte.
Table 7.
MOSI and MISO byte order
Line
Byte 0
Byte 1
Byte 2
MOSI
address 0
data 0
MISO
X[1]
X[1]
[1]
To
Byte n
Byte n + 1
data 1
...
data n 1
data n
X[1]
...
X[1]
X[1]
X = Do not care.
Remark: The MSB must be sent first.

8.1.2.3
SPI address byte

The address byte must meet the following format.
The MSB of the first byte defines the mode used. To read data from the MFRC522 the
MSB is set to logic 1. To write data to the MFRC522 the MSB must be set to logic 0. Bits 6
to 1 define the address and the LSB is set to logic 0.
Table 8.
Address byte 0 register; address MOSI
7 (MSB)
1 = read
0 = write
address
0 (LSB)
0
8.1.3 UART interface

8.1.3.1
Connection to a host
MFRC522
RX
TX
DTRQ
MX
RX
TX
DTRQ
MX
001aak587
Fig 8.
UART connection to microcontrollers
Remark: Signals DTRQ and MX can be disabled by clearing TestPinEnReg registers

RS232LineEn bit.
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8.1.3.2
Selectable UART transfer speeds

The internal UART interface is compatible with an RS232 serial interface.
The default transfer speed is 9.6 kBd. To change the transfer speed, the host controller
must write a value for the new transfer speed to the SerialSpeedReg register. Bits
BR_T0[2:0] and BR_T1[4:0] define the factors for setting the transfer speed in the
SerialSpeedReg register.
The BR_T0[2:0] and BR_T1[4:0] settings are described in Table 9. Examples of different
transfer speeds and the relevant register settings are given in Table 10.
Table 9.
BR_T0 and BR_T1 settings
BR_Tn
Bit 0
Bit 1
Bit 2
Bit 3
Bit 4
Bit 5
Bit 6
Bit 7
BR_T0 factor
16
32
64
BR_T1 range
1 to 32 33 to 64 33 to 64 33 to 64 33 to 64 33 to 64 33 to 64 33 to 64
Table 10.
Selectable UART transfer speeds
Transfer speed (kBd)
SerialSpeedReg value
Decimal
Hexadecimal
Transfer speed accuracy

(%)[1]
7.2
250
FAh
0.25
9.6
235
EBh
0.32
14.4
218
DAh
0.25
19.2
203
CBh
0.32
38.4
171
ABh
0.32
57.6
154
9Ah
0.25
115.2
122
7Ah
0.25
128
116
74h
0.06
230.4
90
5Ah
0.25
460.8
58
3Ah
0.25
921.6
28
1Ch
1.45
1228.8
21
15h
0.32
[1]
The resulting transfer speed error is less than 1.5 % for all described transfer speeds.
The selectable transfer speeds shown in Table 10 are calculated according to the
following equations:
If BR_T0[2:0] = 0:
6
27.12 10
transfer speed = ------------------------------ BR_T0 + 1
(1)
If BR_T0[2:0] > 0:
27.12 10 6
transfer speed = -----------------------------------
BR_T1 + 33
--------------------------------- 2 BR_T0 1
(2)
Remark: Transfer speeds above 1228.8 kBd are not supported.

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8.1.3.3
UART framing
Table 11.
UART framing
Bit
Length
Value
Start
1-bit
Data
8 bits
data
Stop
1-bit
Remark: The LSB for data and address bytes must be sent first. No parity bit is used
during transmission.
Read data: To read data using the UART interface, the flow shown in Table 12 must be
used. The first byte sent defines both the mode and the address.
Table 12.
Read data byte order
Pin
Byte 0
Byte 1
RX (pin 24)
address
TX (pin 31)
data 0
ADDRESS
RX
SA
A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
(1)
R/W
SO
DATA
TX
SA
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
SO
MX
DTRQ
001aak588
(1) Reserved.
Fig 9.
UART read data timing diagram
Write data: To write data to the MFRC522 using the UART interface, the structure shown
in Table 13 must be used.
The first byte sent defines both the mode and the address.
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Table 13.
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Write data byte order
Pin
Byte 0
Byte 1
RX (pin 24)
address 0
data 0
TX (pin 31)
address 0

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DATA
ADDRESS
RX
SA
A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
(1)
R/W SO
SA
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
SO
ADDRESS
TX
SA
A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
(1)
R/W SO
DTRQ
001aak589
(1) Reserved.
Fig 10. UART write data timing diagram
Remark: The data byte can be sent directly after the address byte on pin RX.
Address byte: The address byte has to meet the following format:
The MSB of the first byte sets the mode used. To read data from the MFRC522, the MSB is set to logic 1. To write data to the
MFRC522 the MSB is set to logic 0. Bit 6 is reserved for future use, and bits 5 to 0 define the address; see Table 14.
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Table 14.
Address byte 0 register; address MOSI
7 (MSB)
1 = read
0 = write
reserved
address
0 (LSB)
8.1.4 I2C-bus interface

An I2C-bus (Inter-IC) interface is supported to enable a low-cost, low pin count serial bus
interface to the host. The I2C-bus interface is implemented according to
NXP Semiconductors I2C-bus interface specification, rev. 2.1, January 2000. The
interface can only act in Slave mode. Therefore the MFRC522 does not implement clock
generation or access arbitration.
PULL-UP
NETWORK
PULL-UP
NETWORK
MFRC522
SDA
SCL
MICROCONTROLLER
I2C
CONFIGURATION
WIRING
EA
ADR_[5:0]
001aak590
Fig 11. I2C-bus interface
The MFRC522 can act either as a slave receiver or slave transmitter in Standard mode,
Fast mode and High-speed mode.
SDA is a bidirectional line connected to a positive supply voltage using a current source or
a pull-up resistor. Both SDA and SCL lines are set HIGH when data is not transmitted. The
MFRC522 has a 3-state output stage to perform the wired-AND function. Data on the
I2C-bus can be transferred at data rates of up to 100 kBd in Standard mode, up to
400 kBd in Fast mode or up to 3.4 Mbit/s in High-speed mode.
If the I2C-bus interface is selected, spike suppression is activated on lines SCL and SDA
as defined in the I2C-bus interface specification.
See Table 155 on page 79 for timing requirements.
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8.1.4.1
Data validity
Data on the SDA line must be stable during the HIGH clock period. The HIGH or LOW
state of the data line must only change when the clock signal on SCL is LOW.
SDA
SCL
data line
stable;
data valid
change
of data
allowed
mbc621
Fig 12. Bit transfer on the I2C-bus
8.1.4.2
START and STOP conditions

To manage the data transfer on the I2C-bus, unique START (S) and STOP (P) conditions
are defined.
A START condition is defined with a HIGH-to-LOW transition on the SDA line while
SCL is HIGH.
A STOP condition is defined with a LOW-to-HIGH transition on the SDA line while
SCL is HIGH.
The I2C-bus master always generates the START and STOP conditions. The bus is busy
after the START condition. The bus is free again a certain time after the STOP condition.
The bus stays busy if a repeated START (Sr) is generated instead of a STOP condition.
The START (S) and repeated START (Sr) conditions are functionally identical. Therefore,
S is used as a generic term to represent both the START (S) and repeated START (Sr)
conditions.
SDA
SDA
SCL
SCL
S
START condition
STOP condition
mbc622
Fig 13. START and STOP conditions
8.1.4.3
Byte format
Each byte must be followed by an acknowledge bit. Data is transferred with the MSB first;
see Figure 16. The number of transmitted bytes during one data transfer is unrestricted
but must meet the read/write cycle format.
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8.1.4.4
Acknowledge
An acknowledge must be sent at the end of one data byte. The acknowledge-related clock
pulse is generated by the master. The transmitter of data, either master or slave, releases
the SDA line (HIGH) during the acknowledge clock pulse. The receiver pulls down the
SDA line during the acknowledge clock pulse so that it remains stable LOW during the
HIGH period of this clock pulse.
The master can then generate either a STOP (P) condition to stop the transfer or a
repeated START (Sr) condition to start a new transfer.
A master-receiver indicates the end of data to the slave-transmitter by not generating an
acknowledge on the last byte that was clocked out by the slave. The slave-transmitter
releases the data line to allow the master to generate a STOP (P) or repeated START (Sr)
condition.
data output
by transmitter
not acknowledge
data output
by receiver
acknowledge
SCL from
master
S
clock pulse for
acknowledgement
START
condition
mbc602
Fig 14. Acknowledge on the I2C-bus
P
SDA
acknowledgement
signal from slave
MSB
acknowledgement
signal from receiver
Sr
byte complete,
interrupt within slave
clock line held LOW while
interrupts are serviced
SCL
S
or
Sr
ACK
3-8
9
ACK
Sr
or
P
STOP or
repeated START
condition
START or
repeated START
condition
msc608
Fig 15. Data transfer on the I2C-bus
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8.1.4.5
7-Bit addressing
During the I2C-bus address procedure, the first byte after the START condition is used to
determine which slave will be selected by the master.
Several address numbers are reserved. During device configuration, the designer must
ensure that collisions with these reserved addresses cannot occur. Check the I2C-bus
specification for a complete list of reserved addresses.
The I2C-bus address specification is dependent on the definition of pin EA. Immediately
after releasing pin NRSTPD or after a power-on reset, the device defines the I2C-bus
address according to pin EA.
If pin EA is set LOW, the upper 4 bits of the device bus address are reserved by
NXP Semiconductors and set to 0101b for all MFRC522 devices. The remaining 3 bits
(ADR_0, ADR_1, ADR_2) of the slave address can be freely configured by the customer
to prevent collisions with other I2C-bus devices.
If pin EA is set HIGH, ADR_0 to ADR_5 can be completely specified at the external pins
according to Table 5 on page 9. ADR_6 is always set to logic 0.
In both modes, the external address coding is latched immediately after releasing the
reset condition. Further changes at the used pins are not taken into consideration.
Depending on the external wiring, the I2C-bus address pins can be used for test signal
outputs.
MSB
bit 6
LSB
bit 5
bit 4
bit 3
bit 2
slave address
bit 1
bit 0
R/W
001aak591
Fig 16. First byte following the START procedure
8.1.4.6
Register write access

To write data from the host controller using the I2C-bus to a specific register in the
MFRC522 the following frame format must be used.
The first byte of a frame indicates the device address according to the I2C-bus rules.
The second byte indicates the register address followed by up to n-data bytes.
In one frame all data bytes are written to the same register address. This enables fast
FIFO buffer access. The Read/Write (R/W) bit is set to logic 0.
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8.1.4.7
Register read access

To read out data from a specific register address in the MFRC522, the host controller must
use the following procedure:
Firstly, a write access to the specific register address must be performed as indicated
in the frame that follows
The first byte of a frame indicates the device address according to the I2C-bus rules
The second byte indicates the register address. No data bytes are added
The Read/Write bit is 0
After the write access, read access can start. The host sends the device address of the
MFRC522. In response, the MFRC522 sends the content of the read access register. In
one frame all data bytes can be read from the same register address. This enables fast
FIFO buffer access or register polling.
The Read/Write (R/W) bit is set to logic 1.
write cycle
I2C-BUS
S
SLAVE ADDRESS
[A7:A0]
0
(W)
JOINER REGISTER
ADDRESS [A5:A0]
[0:n]
DATA
[7:0]
read cycle
I2C-BUS
SLAVE ADDRESS
[A7:A0]
0
(W)
JOINER REGISTER
ADDRESS [A5:A0]
optional, if the previous access was on the same register address

[0:n]
I2C-BUS
SLAVE ADDRESS
[A7:A0]
1
(R)
[0:n]
DATA
[7:0]
DATA
[7:0]
sent by master
sent by slave
start condition
not acknowledge
stop condition
write cycle
acknowledge
read cycle
001aak592
Fig 17. Register read and write access
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8.1.4.8
High-speed mode
In High-speed mode (HS mode), the device can transfer information at data rates of up to
3.4 Mbit/s, while remaining fully downward-compatible with Fast or Standard mode
(F/S mode) for bidirectional communication in a mixed-speed bus system.
8.1.4.9
High-speed transfer
To achieve data rates of up to 3.4 Mbit/s the following improvements have been made to
I2C-bus operation.
The inputs of the device in HS mode incorporate spike suppression, a Schmitt trigger
on the SDA and SCL inputs and different timing constants when compared to
F/S mode
The output buffers of the device in HS mode incorporate slope control of the falling
edges of the SDA and SCL signals with different fall times compared to F/S mode
8.1.4.10
Serial data transfer format in HS mode

The HS mode serial data transfer format meets the Standard mode I2C-bus specification.
HS mode can only start after all of the following conditions (all of which are in F/S mode):
1. START condition (S)
2. 8-bit master code (00001XXXb)
3. Not-acknowledge bit (A)
When HS mode starts, the active master sends a repeated START condition (Sr) followed
by a 7-bit slave address with a R/W bit address and receives an acknowledge bit (A) from
the selected MFRC522.
Data transfer continues in HS mode after the next repeated START (Sr), only switching
back to F/S mode after a STOP condition (P). To reduce the overhead of the master code,
a master links a number of HS mode transfers, separated by repeated START conditions
(Sr).
HS mode (current-source for SCL HIGH enabled)
F/S mode
MASTER CODE
Sr SLAVE ADDRESS R/W
DATA
F/S mode
A/A
(n-bytes + A)
HS mode continues
Sr
SLAVE ADDRESS
001aak749
Fig 18. I2C-bus HS mode protocol switch
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8-bit master code 0000 1xxx
t1
tH
SDA high
SCL high
2 to 5
F/S mode
R/W
7-bit SLA
Sr
n + (8-bit data
A/A)
Sr P
SDA high
SCL high
2 to 5
2 to 5
9
If P then
F/S mode
HS mode
If Sr (dotted lines)
then HS mode
tH
tFS
= Master current source pull-up

msc618
= Resistor pull-up
Fig 19. I2C-bus HS mode protocol frame
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8.1.4.11
Switching between F/S mode and HS mode

After reset and initialization, the MFRC522 is in Fast mode (which is in effect F/S mode as
Fast mode is downward-compatible with Standard mode). The connected MFRC522
recognizes the S 00001XXX A sequence and switches its internal circuitry from the Fast
mode setting to the HS mode setting.
The following actions are taken:
1. Adapt the SDA and SCL input filters according to the spike suppression requirement
in HS mode.
2. Adapt the slope control of the SDA output stages.
It is possible for system configurations that do not have other I2C-bus devices involved in
the communication to switch to HS mode permanently. This is implemented by setting
Status2Reg registers I2CForceHS bit to logic 1. In permanent HS mode, the master code
is not required to be sent. This is not defined in the specification and must only be used
when no other devices are connected on the bus. In addition, spikes on the I2C-bus lines
must be avoided because of the reduced spike suppression.
8.1.4.12
MFRC522 at lower speed modes

MFRC522 is fully downward-compatible and can be connected to an F/S mode I2C-bus
system. The device stays in F/S mode and communicates at F/S mode speeds because a
master code is not transmitted in this configuration.
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8.2 Analog interface and contactless UART

8.2.1 General
The integrated contactless UART supports the external host online with framing and error
checking of the protocol requirements up to 848 kBd. An external circuit can be connected
to the communication interface pins MFIN and MFOUT to modulate and demodulate the
data.
The contactless UART handles the protocol requirements for the communication
protocols in cooperation with the host. Protocol handling generates bit and byte-oriented
framing. In addition, it handles error detection such as parity and CRC, based on the
various supported contactless communication protocols.
Remark: The size and tuning of the antenna and the power supply voltage have an
important impact on the achievable operating distance.
8.2.2 TX p-driver
The signal on pins TX1 and TX2 is the 13.56 MHz energy carrier modulated by an
envelope signal. It can be used to drive an antenna directly using a few passive
components for matching and filtering; see Section 15 on page 81. The signal on pins TX1
and TX2 can be configured using the TxControlReg register; see Section 9.3.2.5 on
page 50.
The modulation index can be set by adjusting the impedance of the drivers. The
impedance of the p-driver can be configured using registers CWGsPReg and
ModGsPReg. The impedance of the n-driver can be configured using the GsNReg
register. The modulation index also depends on the antenna design and tuning.
The TxModeReg and TxSelReg registers control the data rate and framing during
transmission and the antenna driver setting to support the different requirements at the
different modes and transfer speeds.
Table 15.
Register and bit settings controlling the signal on pin TX1
Bit
Bit
Bit
Tx1RFEn Force
InvTx1RFOn
100ASK
Bit
Envelope Pin
InvTx1RFOff
TX1
GSPMos
GSNMos
Remarks
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
not specified if RF is
switched off
X[1]
RF
pMod
nMod
RF
pCW
nCW
X[1]
RF
pMod
nMod
100 % ASK: pin TX1

pulled to logic 0,
independent of the
InvTx1RFOff bit
X[1]
[1]
RF
pCW
nCW
pMod
nMod
RF_n pCW
nCW
X = Do not care.
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Table 16.
Register and bit settings controlling the signal on pin TX2
Bit
Tx1RFEn
Bit
Bit
Force
Tx2CW
100ASK
Bit
Bit
Envelope Pin
InvTx2RFOn InvTx2RFOff
TX2
GSPMos GSNMos Remarks
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
not specified if
RF is switched
off
X[1]
RF
pMod
nMod
RF
pCW
nCW
RF_n
pMod
nMod
pCW
nCW
[1]
X[1]
RF_n
X[1]
X[1]
RF
pCW
nCW
X[1]
X[1]
RF_n
pCW
nCW
X[1]
pMod
nMod
X[1]
X[1]
X[1]
RF
pCW
nCW
pMod
nMod
RF_n
pCW
nCW
X[1]
RF
pCW
nCW
X[1]
RF_n
pCW
nCW
conductance
always CW for
the Tx2CW bit
100 % ASK: pin
TX2 pulled
to logic 0
(independent of
the
InvTx2RFOn/Inv
Tx2RFOff bits)
X = Do not care.
The following abbreviations have been used in Table 15 and Table 16:
RF: 13.56 MHz clock derived from 27.12 MHz quartz crystal oscillator divided by 2
RF_n: inverted 13.56 MHz clock
GSPMos: conductance, configuration of the PMOS array
GSNMos: conductance, configuration of the NMOS array
pCW: PMOS conductance value for continuous wave defined by the CWGsPReg
register
pMod: PMOS conductance value for modulation defined by the ModGsPReg register
nCW: NMOS conductance value for continuous wave defined by the GsNReg
registers CWGsN[3:0] bits
nMod: NMOS conductance value for modulation defined by the GsNReg registers
ModGsN[3:0] bits
X = do not care.
Remark: If only one driver is switched on, the values for CWGsPReg, ModGsPReg and
GsNReg registers are used for both drivers.
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8.2.3 Serial data switch

Two main blocks are implemented in the MFRC522. The digital block comprises the state
machines, encoder/decoder logic. The analog block comprises the modulator and
antenna drivers, the receiver and amplifiers. It is possible for the interface between these
two blocks to be configured so that the interfacing signals are routed to pins MFIN and
MFOUT.
This topology allows the analog block of the MFRC522 to be connected to the digital block
of another device.
The serial signal switch is controlled by the TxSelReg and RxSelReg registers.
Figure 20 shows the serial data switch for p-driver TX1 and TX2.
DriverSel[1:0]
3-state
INTERNAL
CODER
INVERT IF
InvMod = 1
envelope
00
01
10
1
MFIN
INVERT IF
PolMFin = 0
11
to driver TX1 and TX2

0 = impedance = modulated
1 = impedance = CW
001aak593
Fig 20. Serial data switch for p-driver TX1 and TX2
8.2.4 MFIN and MFOUT interface support

The MFRC522 is divided into a digital circuit block and an analog circuit block. The digital
block contains state machines, encoder and decoder logic and so on. The analog block
contains the modulator and antenna drivers, receiver and amplifiers. The interface
between these two blocks can be configured so that the interfacing signals can be routed
to pins MFIN and MFOUT; see Figure 21 on page 28. This configuration is implemented
using TxSelReg registers MFOutSel[3:0] and DriverSel[1:0] bits and RxSelReg registers
UARTSel[1:0] bits.
This topology allows some parts of the analog block to be connected to the digital block of
another device.
Switch MFOutSel in the TxSelReg register can be used to measure MIFARE and
ISO/IEC14443 A related signals. This is especially important during the design-in phase
or for test purposes as it enables checking of the transmitted and received data.
The most important use of pins MFIN and MFOUT is found in the active antenna concept.
An external active antenna circuit can be connected to the MFRC522s digital block.
Switch MFOutSel must be configured so that the internal Miller encoded signal is sent to
pin MFOUT (MFOutSel = 100b). UARTSel[1:0] must be configured to receive a
Manchester signal with subcarrier from pin MFIN (UARTSel[1:0] = 01).
It is possible to connect a passive antenna to pins TX1, TX2 and RX (using the
appropriate filter and matching circuit) and an active antenna to pins MFOUT and MFIN at
the same time. In this configuration, two RF circuits can be driven (one after another) by a
single host processor.
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Remark: Pins MFIN and MFOUT have a dedicated supply on pin SVDD with the ground
on pin PVSS. If pin MFIN is not used it must be connected to either pin SVDD or pin
PVSS. If pin SVDD is not used it must be connected to either pin DVDD, pin PVDD or any
other voltage supply pin.
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MFOUT
TX bit stream
DIGITAL MODULE
MFRC522
RX bit stream
MANCHESTER
DECODER
UART
Sel[1:0]
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
MFOutSel[3:0]
3-state
internal envelope
envelope from pin MFIN
HIGH
TX2
MODULATOR
DRIVER
TX1
ANALOG MODULE
MFRC522
SUBCARRIER
LOW
DEMODULATOR
Manchester with subcarrier
internal modulated
NRZ coding without subcarrier (> 106 kBd)
DEMODULATOR
MFIN
RX
001aak594
MFRC522
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Fig 21. Overview of MFIN and MFOUT signal routing
0
1
2
DRIVER
3
Sel[1:0]

112138
3-state
LOW
HIGH
test bus
internal envelope
TX serial data stream
reserved
RX serial data stream
MILLER
CODER
MFRC522
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8.2.5 CRC coprocessor

The following CRC coprocessor parameters can be configured:
The CRC preset value can be either 0000h, 6363h, A671h or FFFFh depending on
the ModeReg registers CRCPreset[1:0] bits setting
The CRC polynomial for the 16-bit CRC is fixed to x16 + x12 + x5 + 1
The CRCResultReg register indicates the result of the CRC calculation. This register
is split into two 8-bit registers representing the higher and lower bytes.
The ModeReg registers MSBFirst bit indicates that data will be loaded with the MSB
first.
Table 17.
CRC coprocessor parameters
Parameter
Value
CRC register length
16-bit CRC
CRC algorithm
algorithm according to ISO/IEC 14443 A and ITU-T
CRC preset value
0000h, 6363h, A671h or FFFFh depending on the setting of the

ModeReg registers CRCPreset[1:0] bits
8.3 FIFO buffer

An 8 64 bit FIFO buffer is used in the MFRC522. It buffers the input and output data
stream between the host and the MFRC522s internal state machine. This makes it
possible to manage data streams up to 64 bytes long without the need to take timing
constraints into account.
8.3.1 Accessing the FIFO buffer

The FIFO buffer input and output data bus is connected to the FIFODataReg register.
Writing to this register stores one byte in the FIFO buffer and increments the internal FIFO
buffer write pointer. Reading from this register shows the FIFO buffer contents stored in
the FIFO buffer read pointer and decrements the FIFO buffer read pointer. The distance
between the write and read pointer can be obtained by reading the FIFOLevelReg
register.
When the microcontroller starts a command, the MFRC522 can, while the command is in
progress, access the FIFO buffer according to that command. Only one FIFO buffer has
been implemented which can be used for input and output. The microcontroller must
ensure that there are not any unintentional FIFO buffer accesses.
8.3.2 Controlling the FIFO buffer

The FIFO buffer pointers can be reset by setting FIFOLevelReg registers FlushBuffer bit
to logic 1. Consequently, the FIFOLevel[6:0] bits are all set to logic 0 and the ErrorReg
registers BufferOvfl bit is cleared. The bytes stored in the FIFO buffer are no longer
accessible allowing the FIFO buffer to be filled with another 64 bytes.
8.3.3 FIFO buffer status information

The host can get the following FIFO buffer status information:
Number of bytes stored in the FIFO buffer: FIFOLevelReg registers FIFOLevel[6:0]

FIFO buffer almost full warning: Status1Reg registers HiAlert bit
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FIFO buffer almost empty warning: Status1Reg registers LoAlert bit

FIFO buffer overflow warning: ErrorReg registers BufferOvfl bit. The BufferOvfl bit
can only be cleared by setting the FIFOLevelReg registers FlushBuffer bit.
The MFRC522 can generate an interrupt signal when:
ComIEnReg registers LoAlertIEn bit is set to logic 1. It activates pin IRQ when
Status1Reg registers LoAlert bit changes to logic 1.
ComIEnReg registers HiAlertIEn bit is set to logic 1. It activates pin IRQ when
Status1Reg registers HiAlert bit changes to logic 1.
If the maximum number of WaterLevel bytes (as set in the WaterLevelReg register) or less
are stored in the FIFO buffer, the HiAlert bit is set to logic 1. It is generated according to
Equation 3:
HiAlert = 64 FIFOLength WaterLevel
(3)
If the number of WaterLevel bytes (as set in the WaterLevelReg register) or less are
stored in the FIFO buffer, the LoAlert bit is set to logic 1. It is generated according to
Equation 4:
LoAlert = FIFOLength WaterLevel
(4)
8.4 Interrupt request system

The MFRC522 indicates certain events by setting the Status1Reg registers IRq bit and, if
activated, by pin IRQ. The signal on pin IRQ can be used to interrupt the host using its
interrupt handling capabilities. This allows the implementation of efficient host software.
8.4.1 Interrupt sources overview

Table 18 shows the available interrupt bits, the corresponding source and the condition for
its activation. The ComIrqReg registers TimerIRq interrupt bit indicates an interrupt set by
the timer unit which is set when the timer decrements from 1 to 0.
The ComIrqReg registers TxIRq bit indicates that the transmitter has finished. If the state
changes from sending data to transmitting the end of the frame pattern, the transmitter
unit automatically sets the interrupt bit. The CRC coprocessor sets the DivIrqReg
registers CRCIRq bit after processing all the FIFO buffer data which is indicated by
CRCReady bit = 1.
The ComIrqReg registers RxIRq bit indicates an interrupt when the end of the received
data is detected. The ComIrqReg registers IdleIRq bit is set if a command finishes and
the Command[3:0] value in the CommandReg register changes to idle (see Table 149 on
page 70).
The ComIrqReg registers HiAlertIRq bit is set to logic 1 when the Status1Reg registers
HiAlert bit is set to logic 1 which means that the FIFO buffer has reached the level
indicated by the WaterLevel[5:0] bits.
The ComIrqReg registers LoAlertIRq bit is set to logic 1 when the Status1Reg registers
LoAlert bit is set to logic 1 which means that the FIFO buffer has reached the level
indicated by the WaterLevel[5:0] bits.
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The ComIrqReg registers ErrIRq bit indicates an error detected by the contactless UART
during send or receive. This is indicated when any bit is set to logic 1 in register ErrorReg.
Table 18.
Interrupt sources
Interrupt flag
Interrupt source
Trigger action
IRq
timer unit
the timer counts from 1 to 0
TxIRq
transmitter
a transmitted data stream ends
CRCIRq
CRC coprocessor
all data from the FIFO buffer has been processed
RxIRq
receiver
a received data stream ends
IdleIRq
ComIrqReg register
command execution finishes
HiAlertIRq
FIFO buffer
the FIFO buffer is almost full
LoAlertIRq
FIFO buffer
the FIFO buffer is almost empty
ErrIRq
contactless UART
an error is detected
8.5 Timer unit

The MFRC522A has a timer unit which the external host can use to manage timing tasks.
The timer unit can be used in one of the following timer/counter configurations:
Timeout counter
Watchdog counter
Stop watch
Programmable one shot
Periodical trigger
The timer unit can be used to measure the time interval between two events or to indicate
that a specific event occurred after a specific time. The timer can be triggered by events
explained in the paragraphs below. The timer does not influence any internal events, for
example, a time-out during data reception does not automatically influence the reception
process. Furthermore, several timer-related bits can be used to generate an interrupt.
The timer has an input clock of 13.56 MHz derived from the 27.12 MHz quartz crystal
oscillator. The timer consists of two stages: prescaler and counter.
The prescaler (TPrescaler) is a 12-bit counter. The reload values (TReloadVal_Hi[7:0] and
TReloadVal_Lo[7:0]) for TPrescaler can be set between 0 and 4095 in the TModeReg
registers TPrescaler_Hi[3:0] bits and TPrescalerReg registers TPrescaler_Lo[7:0] bits.
The reload value for the counter is defined by 16 bits between 0 and 65535 in the
TReloadReg register.
The current value of the timer is indicated in the TCounterValReg register.
When the counter reaches 0, an interrupt is automatically generated, indicated by the
ComIrqReg registers TimerIRq bit setting. If enabled, this event can be indicated on
pin IRQ. The TimerIRq bit can be set and reset by the host. Depending on the
configuration, the timer will stop at 0 or restart with the value set in the TReloadReg
register.
The timer status is indicated by the Status1Reg registers TRunning bit.
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The timer can be started manually using the ControlReg registers TStartNow bit and
stopped using the ControlReg registers TStopNow bit.
The timer can also be activated automatically to meet any dedicated protocol
requirements by setting the TModeReg registers TAuto bit to logic 1.
The delay time of a timer stage is set by the reload value + 1. The total delay time (td1) is
calculated using Equation 5:
TPrescaler 2 + 1 TReloadVal + 1
t d1 = --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13.56 MHz
(5)
An example of calculating total delay time (td) is shown in Equation 6, where the
TPrescaler value = 4095 and TReloadVal = 65535:
4095 2 + 1 65535 + 1
39.59 s = ----------------------------------------------------------------------13.56 MHz
(6)
Example: To give a delay time of 25 s requires 339 clock cycles to be counted and a
TPrescaler value of 169. This configures the timer to count up to 65535 time-slots for
every 25 s period.
The MFRC522 version 2.0 offers in addition a second prescaler timer. Due to the fact that
the prescaler counts down to 0 the prescaler period always count an odd number of
clocks (1, 3, 5, ..). This may lead to inaccuracy. The second available prescaler timer
implements the possibility to change the prescaler reload value to odd numbers, which
results in an even prescaler period. This new prescaler can be enabled only in version 2.0
using the register bit DemodeReg, see Table 72. Within this option, the total delay time
(td2) is calculated using Equation 5:
TPrescaler 2 + 2 TReloadVal + 1
t d2 = --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13.56 MHz
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8.6 Power reduction modes

8.6.1 Hard power-down
Hard power-down is enabled when pin NRSTPD is LOW. This turns off all internal current
sinks including the oscillator. All digital input buffers are separated from the input pins and
clamped internally (except pin NRSTPD). The output pins are frozen at either a HIGH or
LOW level.
8.6.2 Soft power-down mode

Soft Power-down mode is entered immediately after the CommandReg registers
PowerDown bit is set to logic 1. All internal current sinks are switched off, including the
oscillator buffer. However, the digital input buffers are not separated from the input pins
and keep their functionality. The digital output pins do not change their state.
During soft power-down, all register values, the FIFO buffer content and the configuration
keep their current contents.
After setting the PowerDown bit to logic 0, it takes 1024 clocks until the Soft power-down
mode is exited indicated by the PowerDown bit. Setting it to logic 0 does not immediately
clear it. It is cleared automatically by the MFRC522 when Soft power-down mode is
exited.
Remark: If the internal oscillator is used, you must take into account that it is supplied by
pin AVDD and it will take a certain time (tosc) until the oscillator is stable and the clock
cycles can be detected by the internal logic. It is recommended for the serial UART, to first
send the value 55h to the MFRC522. The oscillator must be stable for further access to
the registers. To ensure this, perform a read access to address 0 until the MFRC522
answers to the last read command with the register content of address 0. This indicates
that the MFRC522 is ready.
8.6.3 Transmitter power-down mode

The Transmitter Power-down mode switches off the internal antenna drivers thereby,
turning off the RF field. Transmitter power-down mode is entered by setting either the
TxControlReg registers Tx1RFEn bit or Tx2RFEn bit to logic 0.
8.7 Oscillator circuit
MFRC522
OSCOUT
OSCIN
27.12 MHz
001aak595
Fig 22. Quartz crystal connection
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The clock applied to the MFRC522 provides a time basis for the synchronous systems
encoder and decoder. The stability of the clock frequency, therefore, is an important factor
for correct operation. To obtain optimum performance, clock jitter must be reduced as
much as possible. This is best achieved using the internal oscillator buffer with the
recommended circuitry.
If an external clock source is used, the clock signal must be applied to pin OSCIN. In this
case, special care must be taken with the clock duty cycle and clock jitter and the clock
quality must be verified.
8.8 Reset and oscillator start-up time

8.8.1 Reset timing requirements
The reset signal is filtered by a hysteresis circuit and a spike filter before it enters the
digital circuit. The spike filter rejects signals shorter than 10 ns. In order to perform a reset,
the signal must be LOW for at least 100 ns.
8.8.2 Oscillator start-up time

If the MFRC522 has been set to a Power-down mode or is powered by a VDDX supply, the
start-up time for the MFRC522 depends on the oscillator used and is shown in Figure 23.
The time (tstartup) is the start-up time of the crystal oscillator circuit. The crystal oscillator
start-up time is defined by the crystal.
The time (td) is the internal delay time of the MFRC522 when the clock signal is stable
before the MFRC522 can be addressed.
The delay time is calculated by:
1024 = 37.74 s
t d = ------------27 s
(8)
The time (tosc) is the sum of td and tstartup.
device activation
oscillator
clock stable
clock ready
tstartup
td
tosc
t
001aak596
Fig 23. Oscillator start-up time
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9. MFRC522 registers
9.1 Register bit behavior
Depending on the functionality of a register, the access conditions to the register can vary.
In principle, bits with same behavior are grouped in common registers. The access
conditions are described in Table 19.
Table 19.
Behavior of register bits and their designation
Abbreviation Behavior
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Description
R/W
read and write These bits can be written and read by the microcontroller. Since
they are used only for control purposes, their content is not
influenced by internal state machines, for example the
ComIEnReg register can be written and read by the
microcontroller. It will also be read by internal state machines but
never changed by them.
dynamic
These bits can be written and read by the microcontroller.

Nevertheless, they can also be written automatically by internal
state machines, for example the CommandReg register changes
its value automatically after the execution of the command.
read only
These register bits hold values which are determined by internal

states only, for example the CRCReady bit cannot be written
externally but shows internal states.
write only
Reading these register bits always returns zero.
reserved
These registers are reserved for future use and must not be
changed. In case of a write access, it is recommended to always
write the value 0.
RFT
These register bits are reserved for future use or are for
production tests and must not be changed.

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9.2 Register overview

Table 20.
Address
(hex)
MFRC522 register overview

Register name
Function
Refer to
Page 0: Command and status

00h
Reserved
reserved for future use
Table 21 on page 38
01h
CommandReg
starts and stops command execution
Table 23 on page 38
02h
ComlEnReg
enable and disable interrupt request control bits
Table 25 on page 38
03h
DivlEnReg
enable and disable interrupt request control bits
Table 27 on page 39
04h
ComIrqReg
interrupt request bits
Table 29 on page 39
05h
DivIrqReg
interrupt request bits
Table 31 on page 40
06h
ErrorReg
error bits showing the error status of the last command

executed
Table 33 on page 41
07h
Status1Reg
communication status bits
Table 35 on page 42
08h
Status2Reg
receiver and transmitter status bits
Table 37 on page 43
09h
FIFODataReg
input and output of 64 byte FIFO buffer
Table 39 on page 44
0Ah
FIFOLevelReg
number of bytes stored in the FIFO buffer
Table 41 on page 44
0Bh
WaterLevelReg
level for FIFO underflow and overflow warning
Table 43 on page 44
0Ch
ControlReg
miscellaneous control registers
Table 45 on page 45
0Dh
BitFramingReg
adjustments for bit-oriented frames
Table 47 on page 46
0Eh
CollReg
bit position of the first bit-collision detected on the RF

interface
Table 49 on page 46
0Fh
Reserved
Table 51 on page 47
Table 53 on page 47
Page 1: Command
10h
Reserved
11h
ModeReg
defines general modes for transmitting and receiving
Table 55 on page 48
12h
TxModeReg
defines transmission data rate and framing
Table 57 on page 48
13h
RxModeReg
defines reception data rate and framing
Table 59 on page 49
14h
TxControlReg
controls the logical behavior of the antenna driver pins TX1

and TX2
Table 61 on page 50
15h
TxASKReg
controls the setting of the transmission modulation
Table 63 on page 51
16h
TxSelReg
selects the internal sources for the antenna driver
Table 65 on page 51
17h
RxSelReg
selects internal receiver settings
Table 67 on page 52
18h
RxThresholdReg
selects thresholds for the bit decoder
Table 69 on page 53
19h
DemodReg
defines demodulator settings
Table 71 on page 53
1Ah
Reserved
Table 73 on page 54
1Bh
Reserved
Table 75 on page 54
1Ch
MfTxReg
controls some MIFARE communication transmit parameters Table 77 on page 55
1Dh
MfRxReg
controls some MIFARE communication receive parameters
Table 79 on page 55
1Eh
Reserved
Table 81 on page 55
1Fh
SerialSpeedReg
selects the speed of the serial UART interface
Table 83 on page 55
Table 85 on page 57
Page 2: Configuration
20h
Reserved
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Table 20.
MFRC522 register overview continued
Address
(hex)
Register name
Function
Refer to
21h
CRCResultReg
shows the MSB and LSB values of the CRC calculation
Table 87 on page 57
22h
Table 89 on page 57
23h
Reserved
Table 91 on page 58
24h
ModWidthReg
controls the ModWidth setting
Table 93 on page 58
25h
Reserved
Table 95 on page 58
26h
RFCfgReg
configures the receiver gain
Table 97 on page 59
27h
GsNReg
selects the conductance of the antenna driver pins TX1 and

TX2 for modulation
Table 99 on page 59
28h
CWGsPReg
defines the conductance of the p-driver output during

periods of no modulation
Table 101 on page 60
29h
ModGsPReg
defines the conductance of the p-driver output during

periods of modulation
2Ah
TModeReg
defines settings for the internal timer
2Bh
TPrescalerReg
2Ch
TReloadReg

defines the 16-bit timer reload value
2Dh
2Eh

TCounterValReg
shows the 16-bit timer value
2Fh

Page 3: Test register

30h
Reserved
31h
TestSel1Reg
general test signal configuration
32h
TestSel2Reg
general test signal configuration and PRBS control
33h
TestPinEnReg
enables pin output driver on pins D1 to D7
34h
TestPinValueReg
defines the values for D1 to D7 when it is used as an I/O bus Table 125 on page 65
35h
TestBusReg
shows the status of the internal test bus
36h
AutoTestReg
controls the digital self test
37h
VersionReg
shows the software version
38h
AnalogTestReg
controls the pins AUX1 and AUX2
39h
TestDAC1Reg
defines the test value for TestDAC1
3Ah
TestDAC2Reg
defines the test value for TestDAC2
3Bh
TestADCReg
3Ch to 3Fh Reserved
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shows the value of ADC I and Q channels
reserved for production tests
Table 141 to Table 147

on page 69

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9.3 Register descriptions

9.3.1 Page 0: Command and status
9.3.1.1
Reserved register 00h

Functionality is reserved for future use.
Table 21.
Reserved register (address 00h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 22.
9.3.1.2
Reserved register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
CommandReg register
Starts and stops command execution.
Table 23.
CommandReg register (address 01h); reset value: 20h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol:
reserved
RcvOff
PowerDown
Command[3:0]
Access:
R/W
Table 24.
Bit
CommandReg register bit descriptions
Symbol
Value Description
7 to 6 reserved
RcvOff
analog part of the receiver is switched off
PowerDown
Soft power-down mode entered
MFRC522 starts the wake up procedure during which this bit is

read as a logic 1; it is read as a logic 0 when the MFRC522 is
ready; see Section 8.6.2 on page 33
Remark: The PowerDown bit cannot be set when the SoftReset
command is activated
3 to 0 Command[3:0] -
9.3.1.3
activates a command based on the Command value; reading this

register shows which command is executed; see Section 10.3 on
page 70
ComIEnReg register
Control bits to enable and disable the passing of interrupt requests.
Table 25.
Bit
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ComIEnReg register (address 02h); reset value: 80h bit allocation

7
Symbol
IRqInv
TxIEn
RxIEn
IdleIEn
HiAlertIEn
LoAlertIEn
ErrIEn
TimerIEn
Access
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W

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Table 26.
9.3.1.4
ComIEnReg register bit descriptions
Bit Symbol
Value Description
signal on pin IRQ is inverted with respect to the Status1Reg registers

IRq bit
signal on pin IRQ is equal to the IRq bit; in combination with the
DivIEnReg registers IRqPushPull bit, the default value of logic 1 ensures
that the output level on pin IRQ is 3-state
IRqInv
TxIEn
allows the transmitter interrupt request (TxIRq bit) to be propagated to

pin IRQ
RxIEn
allows the receiver interrupt request (RxIRq bit) to be propagated to pin

IRQ
IdleIEn
allows the idle interrupt request (IdleIRq bit) to be propagated to pin IRQ
HiAlertIEn
allows the high alert interrupt request (HiAlertIRq bit) to be propagated to

pin IRQ
LoAlertIEn -
allows the low alert interrupt request (LoAlertIRq bit) to be propagated to

pin IRQ
ErrIEn
allows the error interrupt request (ErrIRq bit) to be propagated to pin IRQ
TimerIEn
allows the timer interrupt request (TimerIRq bit) to be propagated to pin

IRQ
DivIEnReg register
Control bits to enable and disable the passing of interrupt requests.
Table 27.
DivIEnReg register (address 03h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
IRQPushPull
reserved
MfinActIEn
reserved
CRCIEn
reserved
Access
R/W
R/W
R/W
Table 28.
9.3.1.5
DivIEnReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
IRQPushPull
pin IRQ is a standard CMOS output pin
pin IRQ is an open-drain output pin
6 to 5 reserved
MfinActIEn
allows the MFIN active interrupt request to be propagated to

pin IRQ
reserved
CRCIEn
allows the CRC interrupt request, indicated by the DivIrqReg

registers CRCIRq bit, to be propagated to pin IRQ
1 to 0 reserved
ComIrqReg register
Interrupt request bits.
Table 29.
Bit
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ComIrqReg register (address 04h); reset value: 14h bit allocation

7
Symbol
Set1
TxIRq
RxIRq
IdleIRq
HiAlertIRq
LoAlertIRq
ErrIRq
TimerIRq
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Table 30. ComIrqReg register bit descriptions

All bits in the ComIrqReg register are cleared by software.
Bit Symbol
Value Description
indicates that the marked bits in the ComIrqReg register are set
indicates that the marked bits in the ComIrqReg register are cleared
Set1
TxIRq
set immediately after the last bit of the transmitted data was sent out
RxIRq
receiver has detected the end of a valid data stream

if the RxModeReg registers RxNoErr bit is set to logic 1, the RxIRq bit is
only set to logic 1 when data bytes are available in the FIFO
IdleIRq
If a command terminates, for example, when the CommandReg changes

its value from any command to the Idle command (see Table 149 on
page 70)
if an unknown command is started, the CommandReg register
Command[3:0] value changes to the idle state and the IdleIRq bit is set
The microcontroller starting the Idle command does not set the IdleIRq
bit
HiAlertIRq
the Status1Reg registers HiAlert bit is set

in opposition to the HiAlert bit, the HiAlertIRq bit stores this event and
can only be reset as indicated by the Set1 bit in this register
LoAlertIRq 1
Status1Reg registers LoAlert bit is set

in opposition to the LoAlert bit, the LoAlertIRq bit stores this event and
can only be reset as indicated by the Set1 bit in this register
9.3.1.6
ErrIRq
any error bit in the ErrorReg register is set
TimerIRq
the timer decrements the timer value in register TCounterValReg to zero
DivIrqReg register
Interrupt request bits.
Table 31.
DivIrqReg register (address 05h); reset value: x0h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
Set2
reserved
MfinActIRq
reserved
CRCIRq
reserved
Access
Table 32. DivIrqReg register bit descriptions

All bits in the DivIrqReg register are cleared by software.
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
Set2
indicates that the marked bits in the DivIrqReg register are set
indicates that the marked bits in the DivIrqReg register are cleared
6 to 5 reserved
4
MfinActIRq 1
MFIN is active
this interrupt is set when either a rising or falling signal edge is
detected
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reserved
CRCIRq
the CalcCRC command is active and all data is processed
1 to 0 reserved

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9.3.1.7
ErrorReg register
Error bit register showing the error status of the last command executed.
Table 33.
ErrorReg register (address 06h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
WrErr
TempErr
reserved
BufferOvfl
CollErr
CRCErr
ParityErr
ProtocolErr
Access
Table 34.
ErrorReg register bit descriptions
Bit Symbol
Value Description
WrErr
data is written into the FIFO buffer by the host during the MFAuthent
command or if data is written into the FIFO buffer by the host during the
time between sending the last bit on the RF interface and receiving the
last bit on the RF interface
TempErr[1]
internal temperature sensor detects overheating, in which case the

antenna drivers are automatically switched off
reserved
BufferOvfl
the host or a MFRC522s internal state machine (e.g. receiver) tries to

write data to the FIFO buffer even though it is already full
CollErr
a bit-collision is detected
cleared automatically at receiver start-up phase
only valid during the bitwise anticollision at 106 kBd
always set to logic 0 during communication protocols at 212 kBd,
424 kBd and 848 kBd
CRCErr
the RxModeReg registers RxCRCEn bit is set and the CRC calculation
fails
automatically cleared to logic 0 during receiver start-up phase
ParityErr
parity check failed

automatically cleared during receiver start-up phase
only valid for ISO/IEC 14443 A/MIFARE communication at 106 kBd
ProtocolErr 1
set to logic 1 if the SOF is incorrect

automatically cleared during receiver start-up phase
bit is only valid for 106 kBd
during the MFAuthent command, the ProtocolErr bit is set to logic 1 if the
number of bytes received in one data stream is incorrect
[1]
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Command execution clears all error bits except the TempErr bit. Cannot be set by software.

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9.3.1.8
Status1Reg register
Contains status bits of the CRC, interrupt and FIFO buffer.
Table 35.
Status1Reg register (address 07h); reset value: 21h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved CRCOk CRCReady
Access
Table 36.
4
IRq
TRunning reserved
HiAlert
LoAlert
Status1Reg register bit descriptions
Bit Symbol
Value Description
reserved
CRCOk
the CRC result is zero

for data transmission and reception, the CRCOk bit is undefined: use the
ErrorReg registers CRCErr bit
indicates the status of the CRC coprocessor, during calculation the value
changes to logic 0, when the calculation is done correctly the value
changes to logic 1
CRCReady 1
the CRC calculation has finished

only valid for the CRC coprocessor calculation using the CalcCRC
command
IRq
indicates if any interrupt source requests attention with respect to the

setting of the interrupt enable bits: see the ComIEnReg and DivIEnReg
registers
TRunning
MFRC522s timer unit is running, i.e. the timer will decrement the
TCounterValReg register with the next timer clock
Remark: in gated mode, the TRunning bit is set to logic 1 when the
timer is enabled by TModeReg registers TGated[1:0] bits; this bit is not
influenced by the gated signal
reserved
HiAlert
the number of bytes stored in the FIFO buffer corresponds to equation:

HiAlert = 64 FIFOLength WaterLevel
example:
FIFO length = 60, WaterLevel = 4 HiAlert = 1
FIFO length = 59, WaterLevel = 4 HiAlert = 0
LoAlert
the number of bytes stored in the FIFO buffer corresponds to equation:

LoAlert = FIFOLength WaterLevel
example:
FIFO length = 4, WaterLevel = 4 LoAlert = 1
FIFO length = 5, WaterLevel = 4 LoAlert = 0
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9.3.1.9
Status2Reg register
Contains status bits of the receiver, transmitter and data mode detector.
Table 37.
Status2Reg register (address 08h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
TempSensClear
I2CForceHS
reserved
MFCrypto1On
ModemState[2:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 38.
Status2Reg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
TempSensClear
clears the temperature error if the temperature is below the

alarm limit of 125 C
I2CForceHS
I2C-bus input filter settings:

1
the I2C-bus input filter is set to the High-speed mode

independent of the I2C-bus protocol
the I2C-bus input filter is set to the I2C-bus protocol used
5 to 4
reserved
reserved
MFCrypto1On
indicates that the MIFARE Crypto1 unit is switched on and

therefore all data communication with the card is encrypted
can only be set to logic 1 by a successful execution of the
MFAuthent command
only valid in Read/Write mode for MIFARE standard cards
this bit is cleared by software
2 to 0
ModemState[2:0]
shows the state of the transmitter and receiver state

machines:
000
idle
001
wait for the BitFramingReg registers StartSend bit
010
TxWait: wait until RF field is present if the TModeReg

registers TxWaitRF bit is set to logic 1
the minimum time for TxWait is defined by the TxWaitReg
register
011
transmitting
100
RxWait: wait until RF field is present if the TModeReg

registers TxWaitRF bit is set to logic 1
the minimum time for RxWait is defined by the
RxWaitReg register
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101
wait for data
110
receiving

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9.3.1.10
FIFODataReg register
Input and output of 64 byte FIFO buffer.
Table 39.
Bit
FIFODataReg register (address 09h); reset value: xxh bit allocation

7
Symbol
FIFOData[7:0]
Access
Table 40.
FIFODataReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
7 to 0
FIFOData[7:0] data input and output port for the internal 64-byte FIFO buffer
Description
FIFO buffer acts as parallel in/parallel out converter for all serial data
stream inputs and outputs
9.3.1.11
FIFOLevelReg register
Indicates the number of bytes stored in the FIFO.
Table 41.
Bit
FIFOLevelReg register (address 0Ah); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
FlushBuffer
FIFOLevel[6:0]
Access
Table 42.
FIFOLevelReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
FlushBuffer 1
immediately clears the internal FIFO buffers read and write pointer
and ErrorReg registers BufferOvfl bit
reading this bit always returns 0
6 to 0 FIFOLevel
[6:0]
9.3.1.12
indicates the number of bytes stored in the FIFO buffer

writing to the FIFODataReg register increments and reading
decrements the FIFOLevel value
WaterLevelReg register
Defines the level for FIFO under- and overflow warning.
Table 43.
Bit
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WaterLevelReg register (address 0Bh); reset value: 08h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved
WaterLevel[5:0]
Access
R/W

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Table 44.
WaterLevelReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 6
reserved
5 to 0
WaterLevel
[5:0]
defines a warning level to indicate a FIFO buffer overflow or underflow:

Status1Reg registers HiAlert bit is set to logic 1 if the remaining
number of bytes in the FIFO buffer space is equal to, or less than the
defined number of WaterLevel bytes
Status1Reg registers LoAlert bit is set to logic 1 if equal to, or less
than the WaterLevel bytes in the FIFO buffer
Remark: to calculate values for HiAlert and LoAlert see
Section 9.3.1.8 on page 42.
9.3.1.13
ControlReg register
Miscellaneous control bits.
Table 45.
Bit
ControlReg register (address 0Ch); reset value: 10h bit allocation

7
Symbol
TStopNow TStartNow
Access
Table 46.
reserved
RxLastBits[2:0]
ControlReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
TStopNow
timer stops immediately
TStartNow
timer starts immediately
reading this bit always returns it to logic0

reading this bit always returns it to logic 0
5 to 3
reserved
2 to 0
RxLastBits[2:0]
indicates the number of valid bits in the last received byte

if this value is 000b, the whole byte is valid
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9.3.1.14
BitFramingReg register
Adjustments for bit-oriented frames.
Table 47.
Bit
BitFramingReg register (address 0Dh); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
StartSend
RxAlign[2:0]
reserved
TxLastBits[2:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 48.
BitFramingReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
StartSend
starts the transmission of data

only valid in combination with the Transceive command
6 to 4
RxAlign[2:0]
used for reception of bit-oriented frames: defines the bit

position for the first bit received to be stored in the FIFO buffer
example:
0
LSB of the received bit is stored at bit position 0, the second

received bit is stored at bit position 1

received bit is stored at bit position 2

received bit is stored in the next byte that follows at bit
position 0
These bits are only to be used for bitwise anticollision at
106 kBd, for all other modes they are set to 0
reserved
2 to 0
TxLastBits[2:0]
used for transmission of bit oriented frames: defines the

number of bits of the last byte that will be transmitted
000b indicates that all bits of the last byte will be transmitted
9.3.1.15
CollReg register
Defines the first bit-collision detected on the RF interface.
Table 49.
CollReg register (address 0Eh); reset value: xxh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
ValuesAfterColl
reserved
CollPosNotValid
CollPos[4:0]
Access
R/W
Table 50.
CollReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
ValuesAfterColl
all received bits will be cleared after a collision

only used during bitwise anticollision at 106 kBd,
otherwise it is set to logic 1
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
reserved
CollPosNotValid
no collision detected or the position of the collision is

out of the range of CollPos[4:0]

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Table 50.
Bit
CollReg register bit descriptions continued
Symbol
Value Description
4 to 0 CollPos[4:0]
shows the bit position of the first detected collision in a

received frame
only data bits are interpreted
example:
00h
indicates a bit-collision in the 32nd bit
01h
indicates a bit-collision in the 1st bit
08h
indicates a bit-collision in the 8th bit

These bits will only be interpreted if the
CollPosNotValid bit is set to logic 0
9.3.1.16
Reserved register 0Fh

Table 51.
Bit
Reserved register (address 0Fh); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 52.
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
9.3.2 Page 1: Communication

9.3.2.1

Table 53.
Bit
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 54.
MFRC522

2
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved

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9.3.2.2
ModeReg register
Defines general mode settings for transmitting and receiving.
Table 55.
Bit
ModeReg register (address 11h); reset value: 3Fh bit allocation

7
Symbol
MSBFirst reserved TxWaitRF reserved
Access
R/W
Table 56.
R/W
PolMFin
reserved
CRCPreset[1:0]
R/W
R/W
ModeReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
MSBFirst
CRC coprocessor calculates the CRC with MSB first

in the CRCResultReg register the values for the
CRCResultMSB[7:0] bits and the CRCResultLSB[7:0] bits are bit
reversed
Remark: during RF communication this bit is ignored
reserved
TxWaitRF
transmitter can only be started if an RF field is generated
reserved
PolMFin
defines the polarity of pin MFIN

Remark: the internal envelope signal is encoded active LOW,
changing this bit generates a MFinActIRq event
reserved
1 to 0
CRCPreset
[1:0]
polarity of pin MFIN is active HIGH
polarity of pin MFIN is active LOW

defines the preset value for the CRC coprocessor for the CalcCRC
command
Remark: during any communication, the preset values are
selected automatically according to the definition of bits in the
RxModeReg and TxModeReg registers
9.3.2.3
00
0000h
01
6363h
10
A671h
11
FFFFh
TxModeReg register
Defines the data rate during transmission.
Table 57.
Bit
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
TxModeReg register (address 12h); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
TxCRCEn
TxSpeed[2:0]
InvMod
reserved
Access
R/W
R/W

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Table 58.
TxModeReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
TxCRCEn
enables CRC generation during data transmission

Remark: can only be set to logic 0 at 106 kBd
6 to 4
TxSpeed[2:0]
defines the bit rate during data transmission

the MFRC522 handles transfer speeds up to
848 kBd
9.3.2.4
000
106 kBd
001
212 kBd
010
424 kBd
011
848 kBd
100
reserved
101
reserved
110
reserved
111
reserved
InvMod
modulation of transmitted data is inverted
2 to 0
reserved
RxModeReg register
Defines the data rate during reception.
Table 59.
Bit
RxModeReg register (address 13h); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
RxCRCEn
RxSpeed[2:0]
RxNoErr
RxMultiple
reserved
Access
R/W
R/W
R/W
Table 60.
RxModeReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
RxCRCEn
enables the CRC calculation during reception

Remark: can only be set to logic 0 at 106 kBd
6 to 4
RxSpeed[2:0]
defines the bit rate while receiving data

the MFRC522 handles transfer speeds up to 848 kBd
000
106 kBd
001
212 kBd
010
424 kBd
011
848 kBd
100
reserved
101
reserved
110
reserved
111
3
MFRC522
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COMPANY PUBLIC
RxNoErr
reserved
an invalid received data stream (less than 4 bits received) will
be ignored and the receiver remains active

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Table 60.
RxModeReg register bit descriptions continued
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
RxMultiple
receiver is deactivated after receiving a data frame
able to receive more than one data frame

only valid for data rates above 106 kBd in order to handle the
polling command
after setting this bit the Receive and Transceive commands will
not terminate automatically. Multiple reception can only be
deactivated by writing any command (except the Receive
command) to the CommandReg register, or by the host clearing
the bit
if set to logic 1, an error byte is added to the FIFO buffer at the
end of a received data stream which is a copy of the ErrorReg
register value. For the MFRC522 version 2.0 the CRC status is
reflected in the signal CRCOk, which indicates the actual status
of the CRC coprocessor. For the MFRC522 version 1.0 the CRC
status is reflected in the signal CRCErr.
1 to 0
9.3.2.5
reserved
TxControlReg register
Controls the logical behavior of the antenna driver pins TX1 and TX2.
Table 61.
TxControlReg register (address 14h); reset value: 80h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol InvTx2RF InvTx1RF InvTx2RF InvTx1RF Tx2CW reserved Tx2RFEn Tx1RFEn

On
On
Off
Off
Access
Table 62.
R/W
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
TxControlReg register bit descriptions
Bit Symbol
MFRC522
R/W
Value Description
InvTx2RFOn 1
output signal on pin TX2 inverted when driver TX2 is enabled
InvTx1RFOn 1
output signal on pin TX1 inverted when driver TX1 is enabled
InvTx2RFOff 1
output signal on pin TX2 inverted when driver TX2 is disabled
InvTx1RFOff 1
output signal on pin TX1 inverted when driver TX1 is disabled
Tx2CW
output signal on pin TX2 continuously delivers the unmodulated

13.56 MHz energy carrier
Tx2CW bit is enabled to modulate the 13.56 MHz energy carrier
reserved
Tx2RFEn
output signal on pin TX2 delivers the 13.56 MHz energy carrier
modulated by the transmission data
Tx1RFEn
output signal on pin TX1 delivers the 13.56 MHz energy carrier
modulated by the transmission data

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9.3.2.6
TxASKReg register
Controls transmit modulation settings.
Table 63.
Bit
TxASKReg register (address 15h); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved Force100ASK
Access
Table 64.
reserved
R/W
TxASKReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
reserved
Force100ASK 1
5 to 0 reserved
9.3.2.7

forces a 100 % ASK modulation independent of the ModGsPReg
register setting
TxSelReg register
Selects the internal sources for the analog module.
Table 65.
Bit
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Symbol:
reserved
DriverSel[1:0]
MFOutSel[3:0]
Access:
R/W
R/W
Table 66.
MFRC522
TxSelReg register (address 16h); reset value: 10h bit allocation

0
TxSelReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
7 to 6
reserved
5 to 4
DriverSel
[1:0]
selects the input of drivers TX1 and TX2
00
3-state; in soft power-down the drivers are only in 3-state

mode if the DriverSel[1:0] value is set to 3-state mode
01
modulation signal (envelope) from the internal encoder, Miller

pulse encoded
10
modulation signal (envelope) from pin MFIN
11
HIGH; the HIGH level depends on the setting of bits

InvTx1RFOn/InvTx1RFOff and InvTx2RFOn/InvTx2RFOff

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Table 66.
TxSelReg register bit descriptions continued
Bit
Symbol
3 to 0
MFOutSel
[3:0]
0000
Value
Description
selects the input for pin MFOUT
3-state
0001
9.3.2.8
LOW
0010
HIGH
0011
test bus signal as defined by the TestSel1Reg registers

TstBusBitSel[2:0] value
0100
modulation signal (envelope) from the internal encoder, Miller

pulse encoded
0101
serial data stream to be transmitted, data stream before Miller

encoder
0110
reserved
0111
serial data stream received, data stream after Manchester

decoder
1000 to 1111
reserved
RxSelReg register
Selects internal receiver settings.
Table 67.
Bit
RxSelReg register (address 17h); reset value: 84h bit allocation

7
Symbol
UARTSel[1:0]
RxWait[5:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 68.
RxSelReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
7 to 6
UARTSel
[1:0]
00
5 to 0
RxWait
[5:0]
Value
Description
selects the input of the contactless UART
constant LOW
01
Manchester with subcarrier from pin MFIN
10
modulated signal from the internal analog module, default
11
NRZ coding without subcarrier from pin MFIN which is only valid
for transfer speeds above 106 kBd
after data transmission the activation of the receiver is delayed for

RxWait bit-clocks, during this frame guard time any signal on pin RX
is ignored
this parameter is ignored by the Receive command
all other commands, such as Transceive, MFAuthent use this
parameter
the counter starts immediately after the external RF field is switched
on
MFRC522
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9.3.2.9
RxThresholdReg register
Selects thresholds for the bit decoder.
Table 69.
RxThresholdReg register (address 18h); reset value: 84h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
MinLevel[3:0]
reserved
CollLevel[2:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 70.
RxThresholdReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 4
MinLevel
[3:0]
defines the minimum signal strength at the decoder input that will be
accepted
if the signal strength is below this level it is not evaluated
9.3.2.10
reserved
2 to 0
CollLevel
[2:0]
defines the minimum signal strength at the decoder input that must be
reached by the weaker half-bit of the Manchester encoded signal to
generate a bit-collision relative to the amplitude of the stronger half-bit
DemodReg register
Defines demodulator settings.
Table 71.
DemodReg register (address 19h); reset value: 4Dh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
AddIQ[1:0]
FixIQ
TPrescal
Even
TauRcv[1:0]
TauSync[1:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
Table 72.
Bit
DemodReg register bit descriptions
Symbol
7 to 6 AddIQ
[1:0]
FixIQ
Value Description
-
defines the use of I and Q channel during reception

Remark: the FixIQ bit must be set to logic 0 to enable the following
settings:
00
selects the stronger channel
01
selects the stronger channel and freezes the selected channel

during communication
10
reserved
11
reserved
if AddIQ[1:0] are set to X0b, the reception is fixed to I channel

if AddIQ[1:0] are set to X1b, the reception is fixed to Q channel
MFRC522
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COMPANY PUBLIC

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Table 72.
DemodReg register bit descriptions continued
Bit
Symbol
Value Description
TPrescalEven
R/W
Available on RC522 version 1.0 and version 2.0:

If set to logic 0 the following formula is used to calculate the timer
frequency of the prescaler:
ftimer = 13.56 MHz / (2*TPreScaler+1).
Only available on version 2.0:
If set to logic 1 the following formula is used to calculate the timer
frequency of the prescaler:
Default TPrescalEven bit is logic 0, find more information on the
prescaler in Section 8.5.
3 to 2 TauRcv[1:0]
1 to 0 TauSync[1:0]
changes the time-constant of the internal PLL during data

reception
Remark: if set to 00b the PLL is frozen during data reception
9.3.2.11
changes the time-constant of the internal PLL during burst
Reserved register 1Ah

Table 73.
Bit
9.3.2.12
Reserved register (address 1Ah); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 74.
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
Reserved register 1Bh

Table 75.
Bit
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 76.
9.3.2.13
Reserved register (address 1Bh); reset value: 00h bit allocation

2
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
MfTxReg register
Controls some MIFARE communication transmit parameters.
MFRC522
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COMPANY PUBLIC

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Table 77.
Bit
MfTxReg register (address 1Ch); reset value: 62h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved
TxWait[1:0]
Access
R/W
Table 78.
MfTxReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 2
reserved
1 to 0
TxWait
defines the additional response time

7 bits are added to the value of the register bit by default
9.3.2.14
MfRxReg register
Table 79.
Bit
MfRxReg register (address 1Dh); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved
ParityDisable
reserved
Access
R/W
Table 80.
Bit
MfRxReg register bit descriptions
Symbol
Value Description
7 to 5 reserved
4
ParityDisable 1
generation of the parity bit for transmission and the parity check for
receiving is switched off
the received parity bit is handled like a data bit
3 to 0 reserved
9.3.2.15
Reserved register 1Eh

Table 81.
Bit
9.3.2.16
Reserved register (address 1Eh); reset value: 00h bit allocation

7
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 82.
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
SerialSpeedReg register
Selects the speed of the serial UART interface.
Table 83.
Bit
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
SerialSpeedReg register (address 1Fh); reset value: EBh bit allocation

7
Symbol
BR_T0[2:0]
BR_T1[4:0]
Access
R/W
R/W

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Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Table 84.
SerialSpeedReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 5
BR_T0[2:0]
factor BR_T0 adjusts the transfer speed: for description, see

Section 8.1.3.2 on page 12
4 to 0
BR_T1[4:0]
factor BR_T1 adjusts the transfer speed: for description, see


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9.3.3 Page 2: Configuration

9.3.3.1

Table 85.
Bit
9.3.3.2

7
Symbol
Access
reserved
Table 86.
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
CRCResultReg registers
Shows the MSB and LSB values of the CRC calculation.
Remark: The CRC is split into two 8-bit registers.
Table 87.
Bit
CRCResultReg (higher bits) register (address 21h); reset value: FFh bit allocation
7
Symbol
CRCResultMSB[7:0]
Access
Table 88.
CRCResultReg register higher bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
CRCResultMSB
[7:0]
shows the value of the CRCResultReg registers most significant

byte
only valid if Status1Reg registers CRCReady bit is set to logic 1
Table 89.
Bit
CRCResultReg (lower bits) register (address 22h); reset value: FFh bit allocation
7
Symbol
CRCResultLSB[7:0]
Access
Table 90.
CRCResultReg register lower bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
CRCResultLSB
[7:0]
shows the value of the least significant byte of the CRCResultReg

register
only valid if Status1Reg registers CRCReady bit is set to logic 1
MFRC522
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COMPANY PUBLIC

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9.3.3.3

Table 91.
Bit
9.3.3.4

7
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 92.
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
ModWidthReg register
Sets the modulation width.
Table 93.
Bit
ModWidthReg register (address 24h); reset value: 26h bit allocation

7
Symbol
ModWidth[7:0]
Access
R/W
Table 94.
ModWidthReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
7 to 0
ModWidth[7:0] defines the width of the Miller modulation as multiples of the carrier
frequency (ModWidth + 1 / fclk)
Description
the maximum value is half the bit period
9.3.3.5

Table 95.
Bit
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC

7
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 96.
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved

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9.3.3.6
RFCfgReg register
Configures the receiver gain.
Table 97.
Bit
Symbol
reserved
RxGain[2:0]
reserved
Access
R/W
Table 98.
RFCfgReg register bit descriptions
Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
reserved
6 to 4
RxGain
[2:0]
000
18 dB
001
23 dB
010
18 dB
011
23 dB
100
33 dB
101
38 dB
110
43 dB
111
48 dB
3 to 0
9.3.3.7
RFCfgReg register (address 26h); reset value: 48h bit allocation
reserved
defines the receivers signal voltage gain factor:
GsNReg register
Defines the conductance of the antenna driver pins TX1 and TX2 for the n-driver when the
driver is switched on.
Table 99.
Bit
GsNReg register (address 27h); reset value: 88h bit allocation

7
Symbol
CWGsN[3:0]
ModGsN[3:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 100. GsNReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 4
CWGsN
[3:0]
defines the conductance of the output n-driver during periods without

modulation which can be used to regulate the output power and
subsequently current consumption and operating distance
Remark: the conductance value is binary-weighted
during soft Power-down mode the highest bit is forced to logic 1
value is only used if driver TX1 or TX2 is switched on
3 to 0
ModGsN
[3:0]
defines the conductance of the output n-driver during periods without

modulation which can be used to regulate the modulation index
Remark: the conductance value is binary weighted
value is only used if driver TX1 or TX2 is switched on
MFRC522
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9.3.3.8
CWGsPReg register
Defines the conductance of the p-driver output during periods of no modulation.
Table 101. CWGsPReg register (address 28h); reset value: 20h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
CWGsP[5:0]
Access
R/W
Table 102. CWGsPReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 6
reserved
5 to 0
CWGsP[5:0]
defines the conductance of the p-driver output which can be used to

regulate the output power and subsequently current consumption and
operating distance
9.3.3.9
ModGsPReg register
Defines the conductance of the p-driver output during modulation.
Table 103. ModGsPReg register (address 29h); reset value: 20h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
ModGsP[5:0]
Access
R/W
Table 104. ModGsPReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 6
reserved
5 to 0
ModGsP[5:0]
defines the conductance of the p-driver output during modulation

which can be used to regulate the modulation index
if the TxASKReg registers Force100ASK bit is set to logic 1 the value
of ModGsP has no effect
9.3.3.10
TModeReg and TPrescalerReg registers

These registers define the timer settings.
Remark: The TPrescaler setting higher 4 bits are in the TModeReg register and the lower
8 bits are in the TPrescalerReg register.
Table 105. TModeReg register (address 2Ah); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Symbol
TAuto
TGated[1:0]
TAutoRestart
TPrescaler_Hi[3:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W

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Table 106. TModeReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Value
Description
TAuto
timer starts automatically at the end of the transmission in

all communication modes at all speeds
if the RxModeReg registers RxMultiple bit is not set, the
timer stops immediately after receiving the 5th bit (1 start
bit, 4 data bits)
if the RxMultiple bit is set to logic 1 the timer never stops, in
which case the timer can be stopped by setting the
ControlReg registers TStopNow bit to logic 1
0
6 to 5
indicates that the timer is not influenced by the protocol
TGated[1:0]
internal timer is running in gated mode

Remark: in gated mode, the Status1Reg registers
TRunning bit is logic 1 when the timer is enabled by the
TModeReg registers TGated[1:0] bits
this bit does not influence the gating signal
00
non-gated mode
01
gated by pin MFIN
10
gated by pin AUX1
11
4
3 to 0
TAutoRestart
TPrescaler_Hi[3:0]
timer automatically restarts its count-down from the 16-bit

timer reload value instead of counting down to zero
timer decrements to 0 and the ComIrqReg registers

TimerIRq bit is set to logic 1
defines the higher 4 bits of the TPrescaler value

The following formula is used to calculate the timer
frequency if the DemodReg registers TPrescalEven bit in
Demot Regis set to logic 0:
Where TPreScaler = [TPrescaler_Hi:TPrescaler_Lo]
(TPrescaler value on 12 bits) (Default TPrescalEven
bit is logic 0)
The following formula is used to calculate the timer
frequency if the DemodReg registers TPrescalEven bit is
set to logic 1:
See Section 8.5 Timer unit.
Table 107. TPrescalerReg register (address 2Bh); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Symbol
TPrescaler_Lo[7:0]
Access
R/W

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Table 108. TPrescalerReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
TPrescaler_Lo[7:0] defines the lower 8 bits of the TPrescaler value

The following formula is used to calculate the timer frequency if the
DemodReg registers TPrescalEven bit is set to logic 0:
Where TPreScaler = [TPrescaler_Hi:TPrescaler_Lo] (TPrescaler
value on 12 bits) (Default TPrescalEven bit is logic 0)
The following formula is used to calculate the timer frequency if the
DemodReg registers TPrescalEven bit inDemoReg is set to logic 1:
See Section 8.5 Timer unit.
9.3.3.11
TReloadReg register
Defines the 16-bit timer reload value.
Remark: The reload value bits are contained in two 8-bit registers.
Table 109. TReloadReg (higher bits) register (address 2Ch); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
TReloadVal_Hi[7:0]
Access
R/W
Table 110. TReloadReg register higher bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0 TReloadVal_Hi[7:0] defines the higher 8 bits of the 16-bit timer reload value
on a start event, the timer loads the timer reload value
changing this register affects the timer only at the next start event
Table 111. TReloadReg (lower bits) register (address 2Dh); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
TReloadVal_Lo[7:0]
Access
R/W
Table 112. TReloadReg register lower bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0 TReloadVal_Lo[7:0]
defines the lower 8 bits of the 16-bit timer reload value

on a start event, the timer loads the timer reload value
changing this register affects the timer only at the next start event
9.3.3.12
TCounterValReg register
Contains the timer value.
Remark: The timer value bits are contained in two 8-bit registers.
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Table 113. TCounterValReg (higher bits) register (address 2Eh); reset value: xxh bit
allocation
Bit
Symbol
TCounterVal_Hi[7:0]
Access
Table 114. TCounterValReg register higher bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
TCounterVal_Hi
[7:0]
timer value higher 8 bits
Table 115. TCounterValReg (lower bits) register (address 2Fh); reset value: xxh bit
allocation
Bit
Symbol
TCounterVal_Lo[7:0]
Access
Table 116. TCounterValReg register lower bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
7 to 0
TCounterVal_Lo timer value lower 8 bits

[7:0]
Description
9.3.4 Page 3: Test

9.3.4.1

Table 117. Reserved register (address 30h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
Access
Table 118. Reserved register bit descriptions
9.3.4.2
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
TestSel1Reg register
General test signal configuration.
Table 119. TestSel1Reg register (address 31h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
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Symbol
reserved
TstBusBitSel[2:0]
Access
R/W

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Table 120. TestSel1Reg register bit descriptions
9.3.4.3
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 3
reserved
2 to 0
TstBusBitSel
[2:0]
selects a test bus signal which is output at pin MFOUT

if AnalogSelAux2[3:0] = FFh in AnalogTestReg register, test bus signal
is also output at pins AUX1 or AUX2
TestSel2Reg register
General test signal configuration and PRBS control.
Table 121. TestSel2Reg register (address 32h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
TstBusFlip
PRBS9
PRBS15
TestBusSel[4:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
R/W
R/W
Table 122. TestSel2Reg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Value Description
TstBusFlip
test bus is mapped to the parallel port in the following order:

TstBusBit4,TstBusBit3, TstBusBit2, TstBusBit6, TstBusBit5,
TstBusBit0; see Section 16.1 on page 82
PRBS9
starts and enables the PRBS9 sequence according to ITU-TO150

Remark: all relevant registers to transmit data must be
configured before entering PRBS9 mode
the data transmission of the defined sequence is started by the
Transmit command
PRBS15
starts and enables the PRBS15 sequence according to

ITU-TO150
Remark: all relevant registers to transmit data must be
configured before entering PRBS15 mode
the data transmission of the defined sequence is started by the
Transmit command
selects the test bus; see Section 16.1 Test signals
4 to 0 TestBusSel[4:0] -
9.3.4.4
TestPinEnReg register
Enables the test bus pin output driver.
Table 123. TestPinEnReg register (address 33h); reset value: 80h bit allocation
Bit
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Symbol
RS232LineEn
TestPinEn[5:0]
reserved
Access
R/W
R/W

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Table 124. TestPinEnReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Value Description
RS232LineEn 0
6 to 1 TestPinEn
[5:0]
serial UART lines MX and DTRQ are disabled
enables the output driver on one of the data pins D1 to D7 which

outputs a test signal
Example:
setting bit 1 to logic 1 enables pin D1 output
setting bit 5 to logic 1 enables pin D5 output
Remark: If the SPI is used, only pins D1 to D4 can be used. If the
serial UART interface is used and the RS232LineEn bit is set to
logic 1 only pins D1 to D4 can be used.
9.3.4.5
reserved
TestPinValueReg register
Defines the HIGH and LOW values for the test port D1 to D7 when it is used as I/O.
Table 125. TestPinValueReg register (address 34h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
UseIO
TestPinValue[5:0]
reserved
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 126. TestPinValueReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Value Description
UseIO
enables the I/O functionality for the test port when one of the serial
interfaces is used
the input/output behavior is defined by value TestPinEn[5:0] in the
TestPinEnReg register
the value for the output behavior is defined by TestPinValue[5:0]
6 to 1 TestPinValue [5:0]
defines the value of the test port when it is used as I/O and each
output must be enabled by TestPinEn[5:0] in the TestPinEnReg
register
Remark: Reading the register indicates the status of pins D6 to D1
if the UseIO bit is set to logic 1. If the UseIO bit is set to logic 0, the
value of the TestPinValueReg register is read back.
9.3.4.6
reserved
TestBusReg register
Shows the status of the internal test bus.
Table 127. TestBusReg register (address 35h); reset value: xxh bit allocation
Bit
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Symbol
TestBus[7:0]
Access

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Table 128. TestBusReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
TestBus[7:0]
shows the status of the internal test bus

the test bus is selected using the TestSel2Reg register; see
Section 16.1 on page 82
9.3.4.7
AutoTestReg register
Controls the digital self-test.
Table 129. AutoTestReg register (address 36h); reset value: 40h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
AmpRcv
RFT
SelfTest[3:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 130. AutoTestReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Value Description
reserved
AmpRcv
internal signal processing in the receiver chain is performed

non-linearly which increases the operating distance in
communication modes at 106 kBd
Remark: due to non-linearity, the effect of the RxThresholdReg
registers MinLevel[3:0] and the CollLevel[2:0] values is also
non-linear
5 to 4 RFT
3 to 0 SelfTest[3:0]

enables the digital self test
the self test can also be started by the CalcCRC command; see
the self test is enabled by value 1001b
Remark: for default operation the self test must be disabled
by value 0000b
9.3.4.8
VersionReg register
Shows the MFRC522 software version.
Table 131. VersionReg register (address 37h); reset value: xxh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
Version[7:0]
Access
Table 132. VersionReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 4
Chiptype
9 stands for MFRC522
3 to 0
Version
1 stands for MFRC522 version 1.0 and 2 stands for MFRC522

version 2.0.
MFRC522 version 1.0 software version is: 91h.

MFRC522 version 2.0 software version is: 92h.
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9.3.4.9
AnalogTestReg register
Determines the analog output test signal at, and status of, pins AUX1 and AUX2.
Table 133. AnalogTestReg register (address 38h); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
AnalogSelAux1[3:0]
AnalogSelAux2[3:0]
Access
R/W
R/W
Table 134. AnalogTestReg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Value Description
7 to 4 AnalogSelAux1
[3:0]
controls pin AUX1

0000
3-state
0001
output of TestDAC1 (AUX1), output of TestDAC2 (AUX2)[1]
0010
test signal Corr1[1]
0011
reserved
0100
DAC: test signal MinLevel[1]
0101
DAC: test signal ADC_I[1]
0110
DAC: test signal ADC_Q[1]
0111
reserved
1000
reserved, test signal for production test[1]
1001
reserved
1010
HIGH
1011
LOW
1100
TxActive:
at 106 kBd: HIGH during Start bit, Data bit, Parity and CRC
at 212 kBd: 424 kBd and 848 kBd: HIGH during data and
CRC
1101
RxActive:
at 106 kBd: HIGH during Data bit, Parity and CRC
at 212 kBd: 424 kBd and 848 kBd: HIGH during data and
CRC
1110
subcarrier detected:
106 kBd: not applicable
212 kBd: 424 kBd and 848 kBd: HIGH during last part of
data and CRC
1111
test bus bit as defined by the TestSel1Reg registers

TstBusBitSel[2:0] bits
Remark: all test signals are described in Section 16.1 on
page 82
3 to 0 AnalogSelAux2
[3:0]
[1]
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controls pin AUX2 (see bit descriptions for AUX1)
Remark: Current source output; the use of 1 k pull-down resistor on AUXn is recommended.

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9.3.4.10
TestDAC1Reg register
Defines the test value for TestDAC1.
Table 135. TestDAC1Reg register (address 39h); reset value: xxh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
TestDAC1[5:0]
Access
R/W
Table 136. TestDAC1Reg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
reserved
reserved
5 to 0
TestDAC1[5:0] defines the test value for TestDAC1

output of DAC1 can be routed to AUX1 by setting value
AnalogSelAux1[3:0] to 0001b in the AnalogTestReg register
9.3.4.11
TestDAC2Reg register
Defines the test value for TestDAC2.
Table 137. TestDAC2Reg register (address 3Ah); reset value: xxh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
TestDAC2[5:0]
Access
R/W
Table 138. TestDAC2Reg register bit descriptions

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 6
reserved
5 to 0
TestDAC2[5:0] defines the test value for TestDAC2

output of DAC2 can be routed to AUX2 by setting value
AnalogSelAux2[3:0] to 0001b in the AnalogTestReg register
9.3.4.12
TestADCReg register
Shows the values of ADC I and Q channels.
Table 139. TestADCReg register (address 3Bh); reset value: xxh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
ADC_I[3:0]
ADC_Q[3:0]
Access
Table 140. TestADCReg register bit descriptions
9.3.4.13
Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 4
ADC_I[3:0]
ADC I channel value
3 to 0
ADC_Q[3:0]
ADC Q channel value
Reserved register 3Ch

Functionality reserved for production test.
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Table 141. Reserved register (address 3Ch); reset value: FFh bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
RFT
Access

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
Table 143. Reserved register (address 3Dh); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
RFT
Access

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
Table 145. Reserved register (address 3Eh); reset value: 03h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
RFT
Access

Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved
Table 147. Reserved register (address 3Fh); reset value: 00h bit allocation
Bit
Symbol
reserved
Access
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Bit
Symbol
Description
7 to 0
reserved

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10. MFRC522 command set

10.1 General description
The MFRC522 operation is determined by a state machine capable of performing a set of
commands. A command is executed by writing a command code (see Table 149) to the
CommandReg register.
Arguments and/or data necessary to process a command are exchanged via the FIFO
buffer.
10.2 General behavior

Each command that needs a data bit stream (or data byte stream) as an input
immediately processes any data in the FIFO buffer. An exception to this rule is the
Transceive command. Using this command, transmission is started with the
BitFramingReg registers StartSend bit.
Each command that needs a certain number of arguments, starts processing only
when it has received the correct number of arguments from the FIFO buffer.
The FIFO buffer is not automatically cleared when commands start. This makes it
possible to write command arguments and/or the data bytes to the FIFO buffer and
then start the command.
Each command can be interrupted by the host writing a new command code to the
CommandReg register, for example, the Idle command.
10.3 MFRC522 command overview

Table 149. Command overview
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Command
Command Action
code
Idle
0000
no action, cancels current command execution
Mem
0001
stores 25 bytes into the internal buffer
Generate RandomID
0010
generates a 10-byte random ID number
CalcCRC
0011
activates the CRC coprocessor or performs a self test
Transmit
0100
transmits data from the FIFO buffer
NoCmdChange
0111
no command change, can be used to modify the

CommandReg register bits without affecting the command,
for example, the PowerDown bit
Receive
1000
activates the receiver circuits
Transceive
1100
transmits data from FIFO buffer to antenna and automatically

activates the receiver after transmission
1101
MFAuthent
1110
performs the MIFARE standard authentication as a reader
SoftReset
1111
resets the MFRC522

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10.3.1 MFRC522 command descriptions

10.3.1.1
Idle
Places the MFRC522 in Idle mode. The Idle command also terminates itself.
10.3.1.2
Mem
Transfers 25 bytes from the FIFO buffer to the internal buffer.
To read out the 25 bytes from the internal buffer the Mem command must be started with
an empty FIFO buffer. In this case, the 25 bytes are transferred from the internal buffer to
the FIFO.
During a hard power-down (using pin NRSTPD), the 25 bytes in the internal buffer remain
unchanged and are only lost if the power supply is removed from the MFRC522.
This command automatically terminates when finished and the Idle command becomes
active.
10.3.1.3
Generate RandomID
This command generates a 10-byte random number which is initially stored in the internal
buffer. This then overwrites the 10 bytes in the internal 25-byte buffer. This command
automatically terminates when finished and the MFRC522 returns to Idle mode.
10.3.1.4
CalcCRC
The FIFO buffer content is transferred to the CRC coprocessor and the CRC calculation is
started. The calculation result is stored in the CRCResultReg register. The CRC
calculation is not limited to a dedicated number of bytes. The calculation is not stopped
when the FIFO buffer is empty during the data stream. The next byte written to the FIFO
buffer is added to the calculation.
The CRC preset value is controlled by the ModeReg registers CRCPreset[1:0] bits. The
value is loaded in to the CRC coprocessor when the command starts.
This command must be terminated by writing a command to the CommandReg register,
such as, the Idle command.
If the AutoTestReg registers SelfTest[3:0] bits are set correctly, the MFRC522 enters Self
Test mode. Starting the CalcCRC command initiates a digital self test. The result of the
self test is written to the FIFO buffer.
10.3.1.5
Transmit
The FIFO buffer content is immediately transmitted after starting this command. Before
transmitting the FIFO buffer content, all relevant registers must be set for data
transmission.
This command automatically terminates when the FIFO buffer is empty. It can be
terminated by another command written to the CommandReg register.
10.3.1.6
NoCmdChange
This command does not influence any running command in the CommandReg register. It
can be used to manipulate any bit except the CommandReg register Command[3:0] bits,
for example, the RcvOff bit or the PowerDown bit.
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10.3.1.7
Receive
The MFRC522 activates the receiver path and waits for a data stream to be received. The
correct settings must be chosen before starting this command.
This command automatically terminates when the data stream ends. This is indicated
either by the end of frame pattern or by the length byte depending on the selected frame
type and speed.
Remark: If the RxModeReg registers RxMultiple bit is set to logic 1, the Receive
command will not automatically terminate. It must be terminated by starting another
command in the CommandReg register.
10.3.1.8
Transceive
This command continuously repeats the transmission of data from the FIFO buffer and the
reception of data from the RF field. The first action is transmit and after transmission the
command is changed to receive a data stream.
Each transmit process must be started by setting the BitFramingReg registers StartSend
bit to logic 1. This command must be cleared by writing any command to the
Remark: If the RxModeReg registers RxMultiple bit is set to logic 1, the Transceive
command never leaves the receive state because this state cannot be cancelled
automatically.
10.3.1.9
MFAuthent
This command manages MIFARE authentication to enable a secure communication to
any MIFARE Mini, MIFARE 1K and MIFARE 4K card. The following data is written to the
FIFO buffer before the command can be activated:
Authentication command code (60h, 61h)

Block address
Sector key byte 0
Sector key byte 1
Sector key byte 2
Sector key byte 3
Sector key byte 4
Sector key byte 5
Card serial number byte 0
In total 12 bytes are written to the FIFO.

Remark: When the MFAuthent command is active all access to the FIFO buffer is
blocked. However, if there is access to the FIFO buffer, the ErrorReg registers WrErr bit is
set.
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This command automatically terminates when the MIFARE card is authenticated and the
Status2Reg registers MFCrypto1On bit is set to logic 1.
This command does not terminate automatically if the card does not answer, so the timer
must be initialized to automatic mode. In this case, in addition to the IdleIRq bit, the
TimerIRq bit can be used as the termination criteria. During authentication processing, the
RxIRq bit and TxIRq bit are blocked. The Crypto1On bit is only valid after termination of
the MFAuthent command, either after processing the protocol or writing Idle to the
If an error occurs during authentication, the ErrorReg registers ProtocolErr bit is set to
logic 1 and the Status2Reg registers Crypto1On bit is set to logic 0.
10.3.1.10
SoftReset
This command performs a reset of the device. The configuration data of the internal buffer
remains unchanged. All registers are set to the reset values. This command automatically
terminates when finished.
Remark: The SerialSpeedReg register is reset and therefore the serial data rate is set to
9.6 kBd.
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11. Limiting values

Table 150. Limiting values
In accordance with the Absolute Maximum Rating System (IEC 60134).
Symbol
Parameter
VDDA
VDDD
Conditions
Min
Max
Unit
0.5
+4.0
0.5
+4.0
VDD(PVDD) PVDD supply voltage
0.5
+4.0
VDD(TVDD) TVDD supply voltage
0.5
+4.0
VDD(SVDD) SVDD supply voltage
0.5
+4.0
input voltage
VI
all input pins except pins MFIN and

RX
VSS(PVSS) 0.5 VDD(PVDD) + 0.5 V
pin MFIN
VSS(PVSS) 0.5 VDD(SVDD) + 0.5 V
per package; and VDDD in shortcut

mode
200
mW
Ptot
total power dissipation
Tj
junction temperature
100
VESD
electrostatic discharge voltage HBM; 1500 , 100 pF;

JESD22-A114-B
2000
200
on all pins
200
on all pins except SVDD in

TFBGA64 package
500
MM; 0.75 H, 200 pF;

JESD22-A114-A
Charged device model;
JESD22-C101-A
12. Recommended operating conditions

Table 151. Operating conditions
Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit

[1][2]
VDDA
2.5
3.3
3.6
VDDD

[1][2]
2.5
3.3
3.6
VDD(TVDD)
TVDD supply voltage

[1][2]
2.5
3.3
3.6
VDD(PVDD)
PVDD supply voltage

[3]
1.6
1.8
3.6
VDD(SVDD)
SVDD supply voltage
1.6
3.6
Tamb
ambient temperature
HVQFN32
25
+85
[1]
Supply voltages below 3 V reduce the performance (the achievable operating distance).
[2]
VDDA, VDDD and VDD(TVDD) must always be the same voltage.
[3]
VDD(PVDD) must always be the same or lower voltage than VDDD.
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13. Thermal characteristics

Table 152. Thermal characteristics
Symbol Parameter
Rth(j-a)
thermal resistance from junction to

ambient
Conditions
Package
Typ
in still air with exposed pin soldered on a

4 layer JEDEC PCB
HVQFN32 40
Unit
K/W
14. Characteristics
Table 153. Characteristics
Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
+1
Input characteristics
Pins EA, I2C and NRSTPD
ILI
input leakage current
VIH
HIGH-level input voltage
0.7VDD(PVDD) -
VIL
LOW-level input voltage
0.3VDD(PVDD)
ILI
+1
VIH
0.7VDD(SVDD) -
VIL
0.3VDD(SVDD)
ILI
+1
VIH
0.7VDD(PVDD) -
VIL
0.3VDD(PVDD)
Vi
input voltage
VDDA +1
Ci
input capacitance
VDDA = 3 V; receiver active;

VRX(p-p) = 1 V; 1.5 V (DC)
offset
10
pF
Ri
input resistance
VDDA = 3 V; receiver active;

VRX(p-p) = 1 V; 1.5 V (DC)
offset
350
Vi(p-p)(min) minimum peak-to-peak input Manchester encoded;

voltage
VDDA = 3 V
100
mV
Vi(p-p)(max) maximum peak-to-peak input Manchester encoded;

voltage
VDDA = 3 V
mV
Pin MFIN
Pin SDA
Pin RX[1]
Input voltage range; see Figure 24
Input sensitivity; see Figure 24

Vmod
modulation voltage
minimum Manchester
encoded; VDDA = 3 V;
RxGain[2:0] = 111b (48 dB)
Pin OSCIN
ILI
+1
VIH
0.7VDDA
VIL
0.3VDDA
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Table 153. Characteristics continued

Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
Ci
input capacitance
VDDA = 2.8 V; DC = 0.65 V;

AC = 1 V (p-p)
pF
+1
Input/output characteristics
pins D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6 and D7
ILI
VIH
0.7VDD(PVDD) -
VIL
0.3VDD(PVDD)
VOH
HIGH-level output voltage
VDD(PVDD) = 3 V; IO = 4 mA
VDD(PVDD)
0.4
VDD(PVDD)
VOL
LOW-level output voltage
VSS(PVSS)
VSS(PVSS) +
0.4
IOH
HIGH-level output current
VDD(PVDD) = 3 V
mA
IOL
LOW-level output current
VDD(PVDD) = 3 V
mA
Output characteristics
Pin MFOUT
VOH
VDD(SVDD) = 3 V; IO = 4 mA
VDD(SVDD)
0.4
VDD(SVDD)
VOL
VDD(SVDD) = 3 V; IO = 4 mA
VSS(PVSS)
VSS(PVSS) +
0.4
IOL
VDD(SVDD) = 3 V
mA
IOH
VDD(SVDD) = 3 V
mA
VOH
VDD(PVDD)
0.4
VDD(PVDD)
VOL
VSS(PVSS)
VSS(PVSS) +
0.4
IOL
VDD(PVDD) = 3 V
mA
IOH
VDD(PVDD) = 3 V
mA
Pin IRQ
Pins AUX1 and AUX2

VOH
VDDD = 3 V; IO = 4 mA
VDDD 0.4
VDDD
VOL
VDDD = 3 V; IO = 4 mA
VSS(PVSS)
VSS(PVSS) +
0.4
IOL
VDDD = 3 V
mA
IOH
VDDD = 3 V
mA
Pins TX1 and TX2
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Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
VOH
VDD(TVDD) = 3 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 32 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 3Fh
VDD(TVDD)
0.15
VDD(TVDD) = 3 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 80 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 3Fh
VDD(TVDD)
0.4
VDD(TVDD) = 2.5 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 32 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 3Fh
VDD(TVDD)
0.24
VDD(TVDD) = 2.5 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 80 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 3Fh
VDD(TVDD)
0.64
VDD(TVDD) = 3 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 32 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 0Fh
0.15
VDD(TVDD) = 3 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 80 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 0Fh
0.4
VDD(TVDD) = 2.5 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 32 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 0Fh
0.24
VDD(TVDD) = 2.5 V;
IDD(TVDD) = 80 mA;
CWGsP[5:0] = 0Fh
0.64
VOL
Current consumption
Ipd
power-down current
VDDA = VDDD = VDD(TVDD) =

VDD(PVDD) = 3 V
hard power-down; pin
NRSTPD set LOW
[2]
soft power-down; RF
level detector on
[2]
10
IDDD
digital supply current
pin DVDD; VDDD = 3 V
6.5
mA
IDDA
analog supply current
pin AVDD; VDDA = 3 V;

CommandReg registers
bit RcvOff = 0
10
mA
pin AVDD; receiver

switched off; VDDA = 3 V;
CommandReg registers
bit RcvOff = 1
mA
[3]
40
mA
[4][5][6]
60
100
mA
[7]
mA
IDD(PVDD)
PVDD supply current
pin PVDD
IDD(TVDD)
TVDD supply current
pin TVDD; continuous wave
IDD(SVDD)
SVDD supply current
pin SVDD
Clock frequency
fclk
clock frequency
27.12
MHz
clk
clock duty cycle
40
50
60
tjit
jitter time
10
ps
RMS
Crystal oscillator
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Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
VOH
pin OSCOUT
1.1
VOL
pin OSCOUT
0.2
Ci
input capacitance
pin OSCOUT
pF
pin OSCIN
pF
Typical input requirements

fxtal
crystal frequency
27.12
MHz
ESR
equivalent series resistance
100
CL
load capacitance
10
pF
Pxtal
crystal power dissipation
50
100
mW
[1]
The voltage on pin RX is clamped by internal diodes to pins AVSS and AVDD.
[2]
Ipd is the total current for all supplies.
[3]
IDD(PVDD) depends on the overall load at the digital pins.
[4]
IDD(TVDD) depends on VDD(TVDD) and the external circuit connected to pins TX1 and TX2.
[5]
During typical circuit operation, the overall current is below 100 mA.
[6]
Typical value using a complementary driver configuration and an antenna matched to 40 between pins TX1 and TX2 at 13.56 MHz.
[7]
IDD(SVDD) depends on the load at pin MFOUT.
Vmod
Vi(p-p)(max)
Vi(p-p)(min)
VMID
13.56 MHz
carrier
0V
001aak012
Fig 24. Pin RX input voltage range
14.1 Timing characteristics

Table 154. SPI timing characteristics
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
tWL
pulse width LOW
line SCK
50
ns
tWH
pulse width HIGH
line SCK
50
ns
th(SCKH-D)
SCK HIGH to data input

hold time
SCK to changing
MOSI
25
ns

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Table 154. SPI timing characteristics continued

Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
tsu(D-SCKH)
data input to SCK HIGH

set-up time
changing MOSI to
SCK
25
ns
th(SCKL-Q)
SCK LOW to data output

hold time
SCK to changing
MISO
25
ns
ns
50
ns
t(SCKL-NSSH) SCK LOW to NSS HIGH

time
tNHNL
NSS high before

communication
Table 155. I2C-bus timing in Fast mode

Symbol Parameter
MFRC522
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COMPANY PUBLIC
Conditions
Fast mode
High-speed Unit
mode
Min
Max
Min
Max
400
3400 kHz
after this period,

600
the first clock pulse
is generated
160
ns
fSCL
SCL clock frequency
tHD;STA
hold time (repeated) START

condition
tSU;STA
set-up time for a repeated

START condition
600
160
ns
tSU;STO
set-up time for STOP condition
600
160
ns
tLOW
LOW period of the SCL clock
1300 -
160
ns
tHIGH
HIGH period of the SCL clock
600
60
ns
tHD;DAT
data hold time
900
70
ns
tSU;DAT
data set-up time
100
10
ns
tr
rise time
SCL signal
20
300
10
40
ns
tf
fall time
SCL signal
20
300
10
40
ns
tr
rise time
SDA and SCL

signals
20
300
10
80
ns
tf
fall time
SDA and SCL

signals
20
300
10
80
ns
tBUF
bus free time between a STOP

and START condition
1.3
1.3

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tSCKL
tSCKH
tSCKL
SCK
tSLDX
tDXSH
tSHDX
tDXSH
MOSI
MSB
LSB
MISO
MSB
LSB
tSLNH
NSS
001aaj634
Remark: The signal NSS must be LOW to be able to send several bytes in one data stream.
To send more than one data stream NSS must be set HIGH between the data streams.
Fig 25. Timing diagram for SPI
SDA
tSU;DAT
tf
tSP
tr
tHD;STA
tf
tLOW
tBUF
SCL
tr
tHD;STA
S
tHIGH
tHD;DAT
tSU;STA
tSU;STO
Sr
S
001aaj635
Fig 26. Timing for Fast and Standard mode devices on the I2C-bus
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15. Application information

A typical application diagram using a complementary antenna connection to the
MFRC522 is shown in Figure 27.
The antenna tuning and RF part matching is described in the application note Ref. 1 and
Ref. 2.
supply
DVDD
3
PVDD
PVSS
NRSTPD
MICROPROCESSOR
host
interface
AVDD
TVDD
15
12
17
16
11
AVSS
VMID
TX1
CRx
R1 C
vmid
R2
23
13
18
4
21
C1
L0
Ra
antenna
MFRC522
10, 14
IRQ
RX
C0
C2
C0
C2
Ra
TVSS
TX2
Lant
L0
C1
DVSS
22
OSCIN
OSCOUT
27.12 MHz
001aaj636
Fig 27. Typical application diagram
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16. Test information

16.1 Test signals
16.1.1 Self test
The MFRC522 has the capability to perform a digital self test. The self test is started by
using the following procedure:
1. Perform a soft reset.
2. Clear the internal buffer by writing 25 bytes of 00h and implement the Config
command.
3. Enable the self test by writing 09h to the AutoTestReg register.
4. Write 00h to the FIFO buffer.
5. Start the self test with the CalcCRC command.
6. The self test is initiated.
7. When the self test has completed, the FIFO buffer contains the following 64 bytes:
FIFO buffer byte values for MFRC522 version 1.0:
00h, C6h, 37h, D5h, 32h, B7h, 57h, 5Ch,
C2h, D8h, 7Ch, 4Dh, D9h, 70h, C7h, 73h,
10h, E6h, D2h, AAh, 5Eh, A1h, 3Eh, 5Ah,
14h, AFh, 30h, 61h, C9h, 70h, DBh, 2Eh,
64h, 22h, 72h, B5h, BDh, 65h, F4h, ECh,
22h, BCh, D3h, 72h, 35h, CDh, AAh, 41h,
1Fh, A7h, F3h, 53h, 14h, DEh, 7Eh, 02h,
D9h, 0Fh, B5h, 5Eh, 25h, 1Dh, 29h, 79h
FIFO buffer byte values for MFRC522 version 2.0:
00h, EBh, 66h, BAh, 57h, BFh, 23h, 95h,
D0h, E3h, 0Dh, 3Dh, 27h, 89h, 5Ch, DEh,
9Dh, 3Bh, A7h, 00h, 21h, 5Bh, 89h, 82h,
51h, 3Ah, EBh, 02h, 0Ch, A5h, 00h, 49h,
7Ch, 84h, 4Dh, B3h, CCh, D2h, 1Bh, 81h,
5Dh, 48h, 76h, D5h, 71h, 061h, 21h, A9h,
86h, 96h, 83h, 38h, CFh, 9Dh, 5Bh, 6Dh,
DCh, 15h, BAh, 3Eh, 7Dh, 95h, 03Bh, 2Fh
16.1.2 Test bus

The test bus is used for production tests. The following configuration can be used to
improve the design of a system using the MFRC522. The test bus allows internal signals
to be routed to the digital interface. The test bus comprises two sets of test signals which
are selected using their subaddress specified in the TestSel2Reg registers
TestBusSel[4:0] bits. The test signals and their related digital output pins are described in
Table 156 and Table 157.
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Table 156. Test bus signals: TestBusSel[4:0] = 07h

Pins
Internal
signal name
Description
D6
s_data
received data stream
D5
s_coll
bit-collision detected (106 kBd only)
D4
s_valid
s_data and s_coll signals are valid
D3
s_over
receiver has detected a stop condition
D2
RCV_reset
receiver is reset
D1
reserved
Table 157. Test bus signals: TestBusSel[4:0] = 0Dh

Pins
Internal test
signal name
Description
D6
clkstable
oscillator output signal
D5
clk27/8
oscillator output signal divided by 8
D4 to D3
reserved
D2
clk27
oscillator output signal
D1
reserved
16.1.3 Test signals on pins AUX1 or AUX2

The MFRC522 allows the user to select internal signals for measurement on pins AUX1 or
AUX2. These measurements can be helpful during the design-in phase to optimize the
design or used for test purposes.
Table 158 shows the signals that can be switched to pin AUX1 or AUX2 by setting
AnalogSelAux1[3:0] or AnalogSelAux2[3:0] in the AnalogTestReg register.
Remark: The DAC has a current output, therefore it is recommended that a 1 k
pull-down resistor is connected to pin AUX1 or AUX2.
Table 158. Test signal descriptions
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
AnalogSelAux1[3:0]
or
AnalogSelAux2[3:0]
value
Signal on pin AUX1 or pin AUX2
0000
3-state
0001
DAC: register TestDAC1 or TestDAC2
0010
DAC: test signal Corr1
0011
reserved
0100
DAC: test signal MinLevel
0101
DAC: test signal ADC_I
0110
DAC: test signal ADC_Q
0111 to 1001
reserved
1010
HIGH
1011
LOW
1100
TxActive

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Table 158. Test signal descriptions continued
16.1.3.1
AnalogSelAux1[3:0]
or
AnalogSelAux2[3:0]
value
Signal on pin AUX1 or pin AUX2
1101
RxActive
1110
subcarrier detected
1111
TstBusBit
Example: Output test signals TestDAC1 and TestDAC2

The AnalogTestReg register is set to 11h. The output on pin AUX1 has the test signal
TestDAC1 and the output on pin AUX2 has the test signal TestDAC2. The signal values of
TestDAC1 and TestDAC2 are controlled by the TestDAC1Reg and TestDAC2Reg
registers.
Figure 28 shows test signal TestDAC1 on pin AUX1 and TestDAC2 on pin AUX2 when the
TestDAC1Reg register is programmed with a slope defined by values 00h to 3Fh and the
TestDAC2Reg register is programmed with a rectangular signal defined by values 00h
and 3Fh.
001aak597
(1)
(2)
100 ms/div
(1) TestDAC1 (500 mV/div) on pin AUX1.

(2) TestDAC2 (500 mV/div) on pin AUX2.
Fig 28. Output test signals TestDAC1 on pin AUX1 and TestDAC2 on pin AUX2
16.1.3.2
Example: Output test signals Corr1 and MinLevel

Figure 29 shows test signals Corr1 and MinLevel on pins AUX1 and AUX2, respectively.
The AnalogTestReg register is set to 24h.
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001aak598
(1)
(2)
(3)
10 s/div
(1) MinLevel (1 V/div) on pin AUX2.

(2) Corr1 (1 V/div) on pin AUX1.
(3) RF field.
Fig 29. Output test signals Corr1 on pin AUX1 and MinLevel on pin AUX2
16.1.3.3
Example: Output test signals ADC channel I and ADC channel Q

Figure 30 shows the channel behavior test signals ADC_I and ADC_Q on pins AUX1 and
AUX2, respectively. The AnalogTestReg register is set to 56h.
001aak599
(1)
(2)
(3)
5 s/div
(1) ADC_I (1 V/div) on pin AUX1.

(2) ADC_Q (500 mV/div) on pin AUX2.
(3) RF field.
Fig 30. Output ADC channel I on pin AUX1 and ADC channel Q on pin AUX2
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16.1.3.4
Example: Output test signals RxActive and TxActive

Figure 31 shows the RxActive and TxActive test signals relating to RF communication.
The AnalogTestReg register is set to CDh.
At 106 kBd, RxActive is HIGH during data bits, parity and CRC reception. Start bits
are not included
At 106 kBd, TxActive is HIGH during start bits, data bits, parity and CRC transmission
At 212 kBd, 424 kBd and 848 kBd, RxActive is HIGH during data bits and CRC
reception. Start bits are not included
At 212 kBd, 424 kBd and 848 kBd, TxActive is HIGH during data bits and CRC
transmission
001aak600
(1)
(2)
(3)
10 s/div
(1) RxActive (2 V/div) on pin AUX1.

(2) TxActive (2 V/div) on pin AUX2.
(3) RF field.
Fig 31. Output RxActive on pin AUX1 and TxActive on pin AUX2
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16.1.3.5
Example: Output test signal RX data stream

Figure 32 shows the data stream that is currently being received. The TestSel2Reg
registers TestBusSel[4:0] bits are set to 07h to enable test bus signals on pins D1 to D6;
see Section 16.1.2 on page 82. The TestSel1Reg registers TstBusBitSel[2:0] bits are set
to 06h (pin D6 = s_data) and AnalogTestReg register is set to FFh (TstBusBit) which
outputs the received data stream on pins AUX1 and AUX2.
001aak601
(1)
(2)
20 s/div
(1) s_data (received data stream) (2 V/div).

(2) RF field.
Fig 32. Received data stream on pins AUX1 and AUX2
16.1.3.6
PRBS
The pseudo-random binary sequences PRBS9 and PRBS15 are based on ITU-TO150
and are defined with the TestSel2Reg register. Transmission of either data stream is
started by the Transmit command. The preamble/sync byte/start bit/parity bit are
automatically generated depending on the mode selected.
Remark: All relevant registers for transmitting data must be configured in accordance with
ITU-TO150 before selecting PRBS transmission.
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17. Package outline

HVQFN32: plastic thermal enhanced very thin quad flat package; no leads;
32 terminals; body 5 x 5 x 0.85 mm
SOT617-1
terminal 1
index area
A
A1
E
detail X
e1
e
1/2
e b
y1 C
v M C A B
w M C
16
L
17
e2
Eh
1/2
1
terminal 1
index area
24
32
25
X
Dh
0
2.5
5 mm
scale
DIMENSIONS (mm are the original dimensions)

UNIT
A(1)
max.
A1
D (1)
Dh
E (1)
Eh
e1
e2
y1
mm
0.05
0.00
0.30
0.18
0.2
5.1
4.9
3.25
2.95
5.1
4.9
3.25
2.95
0.5
3.5
3.5
0.5
0.3
0.1
0.05
0.05
0.1
Note
1. Plastic or metal protrusions of 0.075 mm maximum per side are not included.
REFERENCES
OUTLINE
VERSION
IEC
JEDEC
JEITA
SOT617-1
---
MO-220
---
EUROPEAN
PROJECTION
ISSUE DATE
01-08-08
02-10-18
Fig 33. Package outline SOT617-1 (HVQFN32)

MFRC522
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Detailed package information can be found at:

http://www.nxp.com/package/SOT617-1.html.
18. Handling information

Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) evaluation has been performed according to
SNW-FQ-225B rev.04/07/07 (JEDEC J-STD-020C). MSL for this package is level 1 which
means 260 C convection reflow temperature.
Dry pack is not required.
Unlimited out-of-pack floor life at maximum ambient 30 C/85 % RH.
19. Packing information

The straps around the package of
stacked trays inside the plano-box
have sufficient pre-tension to avoid
loosening of the trays.
strap 46 mm from corner
tray
ESD warning preprinted

chamfer
barcode label (permanent)
PIN 1
barcode label (peel-off)
chamfer
QA seal
PIN 1
Hyatt patent preprinted
In the traystack (2 trays)
only ONE tray type* allowed
*one supplier and one revision number.
printed plano box
001aaj740
Fig 34. Packing information 1 tray
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20. Abbreviations
Table 159. Abbreviations
Acronym
Description
ADC
Analog-to-Digital Converter
BPSK
Binary Phase Shift Keying
CRC
Cyclic Redundancy Check
CW
Continuous Wave
DAC
Digital-to-Analog Converter
HBM
Human Body Model
I2C
Inter-integrated Circuit
LSB
Least Significant Bit
MISO
Master In Slave Out
MM
Machine Model
MOSI
Master Out Slave In
MSB
Most Significant Bit
NRZ
Not Return to Zero
NSS
Not Slave Select
PLL
Phase-Locked Loop
PRBS
Pseudo-Random Bit Sequence
RX
Receiver
SOF
Start Of Frame
SPI
Serial Peripheral Interface
TX
Transmitter
UART
Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter
21. References
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
[1]
Application note MFRC52x Reader IC Family Directly Matched Antenna

Design
[2]
Application note MIFARE (ISO/IEC 14443 A) 13.56 MHz RFID Proximity

Antennas

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22. Revision history

Table 160. Revision history
Document ID
Release date
Data sheet status
Change notice
Supersedes
MFRC522 v.3.8
20140917
Product data sheet
MFRC522 v.3.7
MFRC522 v.3.6
MFRC522_35
Modifications:
MFRC522 v.3.7
Modifications:
MFRC522 v.3.6
Modifications:
MFRC522_35
Modifications:
MFRC522_34
Modifications:
MFRC522_33
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC
Table 150 Limiting values: updated
20140326
Product data sheet
Change of descriptive title

Section 23.4 Licenses removed
20111214
Product data sheet
Section 2.1 Differences between version 1.0 and 2.0 on page 1: added
Section 8.5 Timer unit on page 31: Pre Scaler Information for version 2.0 added
Section 16.1 Test signals on page 82: selftest result including values for version 1.0 and
2.0
Table 2 Ordering information on page 3: updated

Section 9.3.2.10 DemodReg register on page 53: register updated and add reference to
Timer unit
Section 9.3.4.8 VersionReg register on page 66: version information structured in chip
information and version information updated, including version 1.0 and 2.0
20100621
MFRC522_34
Section 9.3.2.10 DemodReg register on page 53: register updated

Section 9.3.3.10 TModeReg and TPrescalerReg registers on page 60: register updated
Section 8.5 Timer unit on page 31: timer calculation updated
Section 9.3.4.8 VersionReg register on page 66: version B2h updated
Section 16.1 Test signals on page 82: selftest result updated
20100305
Product data sheet
Product data sheet
MFRC522_33
Section 8.5 Timer unit: information added

Table 106 TModeReg register bit descriptions: bit 7 updated
Table 154 SPI timing characteristics: row added
20091026
Product data sheet

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23. Legal information

23.1 Data sheet status
Document status[1][2]
Product status[3]
Definition
Objective [short] data sheet
Development
This document contains data from the objective specification for product development.
Preliminary [short] data sheet
Qualification
This document contains data from the preliminary specification.
Product [short] data sheet
Production
This document contains the product specification.
[1]
Please consult the most recently issued document before initiating or completing a design.
[2]
The term short data sheet is explained in section Definitions.
[3]
The product status of device(s) described in this document may have changed since this document was published and may differ in case of multiple devices. The latest product status
information is available on the Internet at URL http://www.nxp.com.
23.2 Definitions
Draft The document is a draft version only. The content is still under
internal review and subject to formal approval, which may result in
modifications or additions. NXP Semiconductors does not give any
representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of
information included herein and shall have no liability for the consequences of
use of such information.
Short data sheet A short data sheet is an extract from a full data sheet
with the same product type number(s) and title. A short data sheet is intended
for quick reference only and should not be relied upon to contain detailed and
full information. For detailed and full information see the relevant full data
sheet, which is available on request via the local NXP Semiconductors sales
office. In case of any inconsistency or conflict with the short data sheet, the
full data sheet shall prevail.
Product specification The information and data provided in a Product
data sheet shall define the specification of the product as agreed between
NXP Semiconductors and its customer, unless NXP Semiconductors and
customer have explicitly agreed otherwise in writing. In no event however,
shall an agreement be valid in which the NXP Semiconductors product is
deemed to offer functions and qualities beyond those described in the
Product data sheet.
23.3 Disclaimers
Limited warranty and liability Information in this document is believed to
be accurate and reliable. However, NXP Semiconductors does not give any
representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or
completeness of such information and shall have no liability for the
consequences of use of such information. NXP Semiconductors takes no
responsibility for the content in this document if provided by an information
source outside of NXP Semiconductors.
In no event shall NXP Semiconductors be liable for any indirect, incidental,
punitive, special or consequential damages (including - without limitation - lost
profits, lost savings, business interruption, costs related to the removal or
replacement of any products or rework charges) whether or not such
damages are based on tort (including negligence), warranty, breach of
contract or any other legal theory.
Notwithstanding any damages that customer might incur for any reason
whatsoever, NXP Semiconductors aggregate and cumulative liability towards
customer for the products described herein shall be limited in accordance
with the Terms and conditions of commercial sale of NXP Semiconductors.
Right to make changes NXP Semiconductors reserves the right to make
changes to information published in this document, including without
limitation specifications and product descriptions, at any time and without
notice. This document supersedes and replaces all information supplied prior
to the publication hereof.
MFRC522
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COMPANY PUBLIC
Suitability for use NXP Semiconductors products are not designed,

authorized or warranted to be suitable for use in life support, life-critical or
safety-critical systems or equipment, nor in applications where failure or
malfunction of an NXP Semiconductors product can reasonably be expected
to result in personal injury, death or severe property or environmental
damage. NXP Semiconductors and its suppliers accept no liability for
inclusion and/or use of NXP Semiconductors products in such equipment or
applications and therefore such inclusion and/or use is at the customers own
risk.
Applications Applications that are described herein for any of these
products are for illustrative purposes only. NXP Semiconductors makes no
representation or warranty that such applications will be suitable for the
specified use without further testing or modification.
Customers are responsible for the design and operation of their applications
and products using NXP Semiconductors products, and NXP Semiconductors
accepts no liability for any assistance with applications or customer product
design. It is customers sole responsibility to determine whether the NXP
Semiconductors product is suitable and fit for the customers applications and
products planned, as well as for the planned application and use of
customers third party customer(s). Customers should provide appropriate
design and operating safeguards to minimize the risks associated with their
applications and products.
NXP Semiconductors does not accept any liability related to any default,
damage, costs or problem which is based on any weakness or default in the
customers applications or products, or the application or use by customers
third party customer(s). Customer is responsible for doing all necessary
testing for the customers applications and products using NXP
Semiconductors products in order to avoid a default of the applications and
the products or of the application or use by customers third party
customer(s). NXP does not accept any liability in this respect.
Limiting values Stress above one or more limiting values (as defined in
the Absolute Maximum Ratings System of IEC 60134) will cause permanent
damage to the device. Limiting values are stress ratings only and (proper)
operation of the device at these or any other conditions above those given in
the Recommended operating conditions section (if present) or the
Characteristics sections of this document is not warranted. Constant or
repeated exposure to limiting values will permanently and irreversibly affect
the quality and reliability of the device.
Terms and conditions of commercial sale NXP Semiconductors
products are sold subject to the general terms and conditions of commercial
sale, as published at http://www.nxp.com/profile/terms, unless otherwise
agreed in a valid written individual agreement. In case an individual
agreement is concluded only the terms and conditions of the respective
agreement shall apply. NXP Semiconductors hereby expressly objects to
applying the customers general terms and conditions with regard to the
purchase of NXP Semiconductors products by customer.
No offer to sell or license Nothing in this document may be interpreted or
construed as an offer to sell products that is open for acceptance or the grant,
conveyance or implication of any license under any copyrights, patents or
other industrial or intellectual property rights.

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Export control This document as well as the item(s) described herein

may be subject to export control regulations. Export might require a prior
authorization from competent authorities.
Quick reference data The Quick reference data is an extract of the
product data given in the Limiting values and Characteristics sections of this
document, and as such is not complete, exhaustive or legally binding.
Non-automotive qualified products Unless this data sheet expressly
states that this specific NXP Semiconductors product is automotive qualified,
the product is not suitable for automotive use. It is neither qualified nor tested
in accordance with automotive testing or application requirements. NXP
Semiconductors accepts no liability for inclusion and/or use of
non-automotive qualified products in automotive equipment or applications.
In the event that customer uses the product for design-in and use in
automotive applications to automotive specifications and standards, customer
(a) shall use the product without NXP Semiconductors warranty of the
product for such automotive applications, use and specifications, and (b)
whenever customer uses the product for automotive applications beyond
NXP Semiconductors specifications such use shall be solely at customers

own risk, and (c) customer fully indemnifies NXP Semiconductors for any
liability, damages or failed product claims resulting from customer design and
use of the product for automotive applications beyond NXP Semiconductors
standard warranty and NXP Semiconductors product specifications.
Translations A non-English (translated) version of a document is for
reference only. The English version shall prevail in case of any discrepancy
between the translated and English versions.
23.4 Trademarks
Notice: All referenced brands, product names, service names and trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
I2C-bus logo is a trademark of NXP Semiconductors N.V.
MIFARE is a trademark of NXP Semiconductors N.V.
24. Contact information

For more information, please visit: http://www.nxp.com
For sales office addresses, please send an email to: [email protected]
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC

112138
93 of 95
MFRC522
NXP Semiconductors
25. Contents
1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2
General description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.1
Differences between version 1.0 and 2.0 . . . . . 1
3
Features and benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4
Quick reference data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
5
Ordering information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
6
Block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7
Pinning information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7.1
Pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
8
Functional description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.1
Digital interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
8.1.1
Automatic microcontroller interface detection. . 9
8.1.2
Serial Peripheral Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.1.2.1
SPI read data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.1.2.2
SPI write data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.1.2.3
SPI address byte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.1.3
UART interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.1.3.1
Connection to a host. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.1.3.2
Selectable UART transfer speeds . . . . . . . . . 12
8.1.3.3
UART framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.1.4
I2C-bus interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
8.1.4.1
Data validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.1.4.2
START and STOP conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.1.4.3
Byte format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.1.4.4
Acknowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
8.1.4.5
7-Bit addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8.1.4.6
Register write access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8.1.4.7
Register read access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8.1.4.8
High-speed mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
8.1.4.9
High-speed transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
8.1.4.10 Serial data transfer format in HS mode . . . . . 21
8.1.4.11 Switching between F/S mode and HS mode . 23
8.1.4.12 MFRC522 at lower speed modes . . . . . . . . . . 23
8.2
Analog interface and contactless UART . . . . . 24
8.2.1
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.2.2
TX p-driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.2.3
Serial data switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8.2.4
MFIN and MFOUT interface support . . . . . . . 26
8.2.5
CRC coprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.3
FIFO buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.3.1
Accessing the FIFO buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.3.2
Controlling the FIFO buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.3.3
FIFO buffer status information . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.4
Interrupt request system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.4.1
Interrupt sources overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.5
Timer unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
8.6
Power reduction modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.6.1
Hard power-down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.6.2
Soft power-down mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.6.3
Transmitter power-down mode . . . . . . . . . . .
8.7
Oscillator circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.8
Reset and oscillator start-up time . . . . . . . . .
8.8.1
Reset timing requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.8.2
Oscillator start-up time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
MFRC522 registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.1
Register bit behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.2
Register overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3
Register descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1
Page 0: Command and status . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.1
Reserved register 00h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.2
CommandReg register. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.3
ComIEnReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.4
DivIEnReg register. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.5
ComIrqReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.6
DivIrqReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.7
ErrorReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.8
Status1Reg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.9
Status2Reg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.10 FIFODataReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.11 FIFOLevelReg register. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.12 WaterLevelReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.13 ControlReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.14 BitFramingReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.15 CollReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1.16 Reserved register 0Fh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2
Page 1: Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.1
9.3.2.2
ModeReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.3
TxModeReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.4
RxModeReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.5
TxControlReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.6
TxASKReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.7
TxSelReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.8
RxSelReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.9
RxThresholdReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.10 DemodReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.11 Reserved register 1Ah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.12 Reserved register 1Bh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.13 MfTxReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.14 MfRxReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.15 Reserved register 1Eh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2.16 SerialSpeedReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3
Page 2: Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.1
33
33
33
33
33
34
34
34
35
35
36
38
38
38
38
38
39
39
40
41
42
43
44
44
44
45
46
46
47
47
47
48
48
49
50
51
51
52
53
53
54
54
54
55
55
55
57
57
continued >>
MFRC522
Product data sheet

COMPANY PUBLIC

112138
94 of 95
MFRC522
NXP Semiconductors
9.3.3.2
CRCResultReg registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.3
9.3.3.4
ModWidthReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.5
9.3.3.6
RFCfgReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.7
GsNReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.8
CWGsPReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.9
ModGsPReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.10 TModeReg and TPrescalerReg registers . . . .
9.3.3.11 TReloadReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3.12 TCounterValReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4
Page 3: Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.1
9.3.4.2
TestSel1Reg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.3
TestSel2Reg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.4
TestPinEnReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.5
TestPinValueReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.6
TestBusReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.7
AutoTestReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.8
VersionReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.9
AnalogTestReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.10 TestDAC1Reg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.11 TestDAC2Reg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.12 TestADCReg register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4.13 Reserved register 3Ch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
MFRC522 command set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.1
General description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.2
General behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3
MFRC522 command overview . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1
MFRC522 command descriptions . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.1 Idle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.2 Mem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.3 Generate RandomID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.4 CalcCRC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.5 Transmit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.6 NoCmdChange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.7 Receive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.8 Transceive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.9 MFAuthent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1.10 SoftReset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Limiting values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
Recommended operating conditions. . . . . . .
13
Thermal characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14.1
Timing characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
Application information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
Test information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.1
Test signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.1.1
Self test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
57
58
58
58
59
59
60
60
60
62
62
63
63
63
64
64
65
65
66
66
67
68
68
68
68
70
70
70
70
71
71
71
71
71
71
71
72
72
72
73
74
74
75
75
78
81
82
82
82
16.1.2
16.1.3
16.1.3.1
Test bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Test signals on pins AUX1 or AUX2. . . . . . . .
Example: Output test signals TestDAC1 and
TestDAC2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.1.3.2 Example: Output test signals Corr1 and
MinLevel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.1.3.3 Example: Output test signals ADC channel I
and ADC channel Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.1.3.4 Example: Output test signals RxActive and
TxActive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16.1.3.5 Example: Output test signal RX data stream .
16.1.3.6 PRBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Package outline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18
Handling information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
Packing information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
Revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
Legal information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23.1
Data sheet status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23.2
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23.3
Disclaimers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23.4
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Contact information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
82
83
84
84
85
86
87
87
88
89
89
90
90
91
92
92
92
92
93
93
94
Please be aware that important notices concerning this document and the product(s)
described herein, have been included in section Legal information.
NXP Semiconductors N.V. 2014.
All rights reserved.
For more information, please visit: http://www.nxp.com

For sales office addresses, please send an email to: [email protected]
Date of release: 17 September 2014
112138

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MFRC522

Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution

Product data sheet

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

MFRC52201HN1, hereafter referred to version 1.0 and

Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution

Increased stability of the reader IC in rough conditions

3. Features and benefits

4. Quick reference data

Quick reference data

analog supply voltage

digital supply voltage

VDD(PVDD) VDDA = VDDD = VDD(TVDD);

VDD(TVDD) TVDD supply voltage

VDD(PVDD) PVDD supply voltage

Product data sheet

VSSA = VSSD = VSS(PVSS) = VSS(TVSS) = 0 V

All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers.

Rev. 3.8 17 September 2014

NXP Semiconductors N.V. 2014. All rights reserved.

Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution

Quick reference data continued

VDDA = VDDD = VDD(TVDD) = VDD(PVDD) = 3 V

hard power-down; pin NRSTPD set LOW

soft power-down; RF level detector on

digital supply current

pin DVDD; VDDD = 3 V

analog supply current

pin AVDD; VDDA = 3 V, CommandReg registers

pin AVDD; receiver switched off; VDDA = 3 V,

PVDD supply current

TVDD supply current

pin TVDD; continuous wave

VDDA, VDDD and VDD(TVDD) must always be the same voltage.

VDD(PVDD) must always be the same or lower voltage than VDDD.

Ipd is the total current for all supplies.

IDD(PVDD) depends on the overall load at the digital pins.

Delivered in one tray.

Delivered in five trays.

Product data sheet

All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers.

Rev. 3.8 17 September 2014

NXP Semiconductors N.V. 2014. All rights reserved.

Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution

Product data sheet

Simplified block diagram of the MFRC522

All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers.

Rev. 3.8 17 September 2014

NXP Semiconductors N.V. 2014. All rights reserved.

Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution

SPI, UART, I2C-BUS INTERFACE CONTROL

MIFARE CLASSIC UNIT

SERIAL DATA SWITCH

VMID AUX1 AUX2

Detailed block diagram of the MFRC522

Product data sheet

All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers.

Rev. 3.8 17 September 2014

NXP Semiconductors N.V. 2014. All rights reserved.

Standard 3V MIFARE reader solution