FEATURE TEST & MEASUREMENT BIOMETRICS: The human touch
Fingerprint Cards, a company producing biometric components, has achieved success in its validation department using PXI products from National Instruments
I
n recent times, the widest use for fingerprint identification was to link a
culprit to a crime scene. Today, biometric ID’s are being used to secure the personal information we carry with us on our phones and tablets. Biometrics is now a commercially viable means of protecting data without the device ever needing to save an image of your fingerprint, making it a great deal safer than traditional passwords. With the global biometric market estimated to reach $25 billion in the next 5 years, we expect to see greater numbers of technologies with biometric capabilities such as fingerprints, retinal scans and voice recognition. Currently, most Android users have the Swedish company Fingerprint Cards for the hardware in their device, that keeps their personal data away from prying eyes. Fingerprint Cards (FPC) markets,
develops and produces biometric components and technologies that can verify a person’s identity by analysing and matching an individual’s unique fingerprint. The technology uses biometric sensors, processors, algorithms and modules separately or in combination with each other. FPC’s technology delivers competitive advantages including image quality, extreme robustness, low power consumption and offers a complete biometric system. These advantages, and the ability to achieve very low manufacturing costs, make it possible to implement the technology in volume products such as smart cards and mobile phones, which face rigorous demands. When a new sensor goes into production, 10–100 of the first produced samples from their contractor are examined. To ensure quality, FPC tests the functionality and power consumption of the first samples of each version of a new sensor that comes from the contractor before delivering them to customers, assuring optimal settings for the highest possible image quality. On top of the high-quality standards, the accelerated development rate in the last decade makes it important to also deliver the product fast. Thus, FPC use the test system for characterisation testing and automatic regression testing to be sure
14 MAY 2017 | ELECTRONICS
that the first samples of a new sensor meets all the specifications necessary and that mass production can continue as quickly as possible. Speed and reliability is achieved because
of a solution based on NI PXI products. The system consists of a NI PXIe-1073 chassis, connected to a stationary computer through a MXI-Express link. The chassis contains a NI PXIe-6556 digital waveform generator/analyser with PPMU, a NI PXIe- 6361 16-bit high-speed analog data
Fingerprint Cards markets, develops and produces biometric components and technologies
acquisition device and a PXI-5152 2- channel oscilloscope. The built-in signal conditioning of the PXI modules is a benefit since it reduces the amount of custom design that is necessary. The only custom electronics used is an adapter board that connects all the PXI instruments to the sensor and provides high-speed current sensing signal conditioning. This generic interface facilitates change between different types of sensors. The change happens in seconds and the LabVIEW software is identical. LabVIEW controls the entire application which can perform several tests
Speed and reliability during validation is achieved thanks to a solution based on NI PXI products
Biometrics is now a commercially viable means of protecting data without the device ever needing to save an image of your fingerprint
automatically but also takes more investigative measurements. Tests include input and output voltage thresholds, power consumption, leakage currents, continuity tests and Iddq testing as well as characterisation of the timing parameters of a serial communication bus, for example, the setup, hold and valid times. Three modules that complete each other well. The NI PXIe-6556 digital waveform generator/analyser with PPMU handles the high-speed digital communication, analysis, sourcing and accurately measures small currents. The PXI-5152 oscilloscope gives characteristics of the signals such as amplitude, frequency and rise time. The NI PXIe-6361 high-speed data acquisition card has excellent timing and synchronisation and can measure fast power consumption transients well. The NI system delivers full coverage for both control and measurement of all the inputs and outputs needed when testing the sensors: its modularity means it can be scaled up in the future. The system has met all FPC’s needs with wide margins, but they plan to upgrade it soon by adding a NI PXIe-4140 SMU because of a predicted need for a better voltage source. Its convenience is based in its ability to upgrade subparts of the system without having to replace all hardware, but still have a single, compact system rather than four to five separate instruments. Due to the modularity of NI hardware and software, the solution evolved whilst maximising the reuse of previous investments in both hardware and code development, with only a minimum cost for future upgrades. The success that the validation department has seen with a PXI-based solution has impacted other departments of the company, who are now considering implementing their own solutions on the same platform.
National Instruments
www.ni.com
/ ELECTRONICS
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