Why did RRG stop ChameleonTiny and start ChameleonUltra?

Introduction of Chameleon Tiny

The Chameleon Tiny Pro is a pocket-friendly powerful NFC emulation & manipulation tool that is based on the open-source project ChameleonMini https://github.com/emsec/ChameleonMini. The Chameleon Tiny is to be a smaller ChameleonMini and to be more end-consumer friendly. The Pro version adds Bluetooth connectivity for quicker interaction via the Android application. It could be the most portable high-end RFID Stuff you must have since 2021.

Troubles during the manufacturing of Chameleon Tiny

1. The restrictions on chips by the Trump administration.
2. The cost caused by missing chips has increased by > 10 times.

Hardware Limits

1. Chameleon Project only supports HF 13.56MHz tag, not including 125KHz.
2. The interaction speed of the ATxmega simulation is slow.
3. The decryption performance of the READER mode cannot meet the needs.
4. Bluetooth extension is not an all-in-one chip solution.

What’s the replacement for ATxmega Chip?

NRF52840 is the solution. NRF52840 has a built-in NFC Tag-A module, but no one seems to care about it.

After playing with HydraNFC’s TRF7970A and FlipperZero’s ST25R3916, the developers found that they can only simulate MIFARE UID. The developer accidentally tested the NFC of NRF52840. He found that it is not only surprisingly easy to simulate a complete MIFARE card, but also has very good simulation performance, friendly data flow interaction, and very fast response, unlike the former which is limited by the SPI bus clock rate. RRG Team also found that it has ultra-low power consumption, ultra-small size, 256kb/1M large RAM and FLASH, and also has BLE5.0 and USB2.0 FS, and super CotexM4F.

Technical Specifications of Chameleon Ultra

Battery Type	302020 rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Charging Time	2 hours @ 0-100%
Charging Current	50mA(max)
Standby Current	[email protected] Dual frequency card slot, [email protected] Single frequency card slot
Simulation Current	[email protected] MF1 Card Simulation Period Average
Sleep Current	[email protected] Mean 30s after dormancy
Card Reading Current	[email protected] hf 14a info during Execution
Battery Capacity	90mah
Usage Time	Use the tag 3 times a day, power it on for 5 seconds each time, and can use up to 6 months
Port Type	Type – C

Hardware Frame Diagram

Development Photos of Chameleon Ultra

What’s the link to Chameleon Tiny

Where to pre-order Chameleon Ultra

Chameleon Ultra now is on pre-order at the MTools Tec store. It will be shipped out in June 2023.

where to crowdfund Chameleon Ultra

Chameleon Ultra is going to be released on Indiegogo. It will be published on 3 April 2023.