Introduction to NFC technology

NFC stands for "Near Field Communication," it's a short-range wireless technology that allows devices to communicate with each other when they are close together. It is commonly used in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices to enable contactless payments and other transactions, such as mobile ticketing and access control. The purpose of this article is to help you get familiar with this technology and have a basic idea about NFC.

What is NFC

NFC is wireless technology that allows devices to communicate with each other when they are close together (typically within a few centimeters). NFC is based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and is similar to RFID in that it uses radio waves to communicate between devices.

NFC can be used for a variety of purposes, such as contactless payments, access control, and data exchange. It is commonly used in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices to enable contactless payments and other transactions, such as mobile ticketing, and access control. NFC can also be used to share contact information, links, files and other data between devices by simply tapping them together.

How is NFC used

The most common use for NFC is for mobile payments and it's often used by customers to make payments at retail stores or online by tapping their mobile device to a payment terminal. NFC also enables short-range communication between devices like mobile phones, laptops, speakers and other electronic devices, allowing them to share information and interact with one another with just a simple tap. NFC can be used to transfer files.

One of the most popular way NFC is used is in the form of NFC business cards. These cards make it possible to share contact details with a simple tap. Contact details can be recorded directly to the phone book of mobile phones.

NFC protocols

NFC (Near Field Communication) protocols are a set of standards that define how NFC devices communicate with each other. The most common NFC protocols are:

NFC-A (ISO/IEC 14443 Type A): This is the most widely used NFC protocol and is compatible with existing contactless smart card infrastructure. It is commonly used for contactless payments and access control.

NFC-B (ISO/IEC 14443 Type B): This protocol is similar to NFC-A, but it is less commonly used. It is typically used in industrial and transportation applications.

NFC-F (JIS X 6319-4): This protocol is similar to NFC-A and NFC-B, but it is optimized for use in Japan.

NFC-V (ISO/IEC 15693): This protocol is designed for use in applications such as inventory management and asset tracking.

NFC-P2P (Peer-to-Peer): This protocol enables two NFC-enabled devices to communicate with each other, allowing them to share information and data.

SNEP (Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol) is a protocol that enables two NFC-enabled devices to share NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) data.

LLCP (Logical Link Control Protocol) is a protocol that enables two NFC-enabled devices to establish a communication link.

NFC tags

An NFC tag is a small, programmable chip with a built-in antenna that can store small amount of data and can be read by an NFC-enabled device, such as a smartphone, when it is brought close to the tag. They are used to store contact information, URLs, product information, and other types of data that can be read by an NFC-enabled device

NFC tags can store data in various formats. There are several NFC tag formats available, each with its own set of features and capabilities. These are the most common ones:

NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) - This is a standard format for storing and exchanging data on an NFC tag. It is widely supported by most NFC-enabled devices and can be used to store a variety of types of information, such as text, URLs, and contact information.

MIFARE - This is a proprietary format developed by NXP Semiconductors. It is commonly used in transportation, access control, and event ticketing applications.

FeliCa - This is a proprietary format developed by Sony Corporation. It is commonly used in Japan and other parts of Asia for transportation, access control, and mobile payments.

ISO/IEC 14443 - This is a standard format for contactless smart cards and is commonly used in access control and transportation applications.

ISO/IEC 15693 - This is a standard format for long-range RFID tags and is commonly used in inventory management and asset tracking applications.

Tag-it - This is a proprietary format developed by Texas Instruments. It is commonly used in retail, inventory management and asset tracking applications.

iCode - This is a proprietary format developed by NXP Semiconductors. It is commonly used for product authentication and identification applications.

Topaz - This is a proprietary format developed by NXP Semiconductors, it is commonly used for product identification and tracking applications.

NDEF data records

In NFC business cards, and in most of today's NFC chips the NDEF data format is used. This format allows you to store various record types. These are the most commonly used record types:

NDEF Text Record - This variant is used to store plain text data on the NFC tag. It can be used to store simple text messages, URLs, phone numbers and other types of data.

NDEF URI Record - This variant is used to store a URL on the NFC tag. It can be used to store a link to a website, a file or a specific page.

NDEF Smart Poster Record - This variant is used to store a combination of text and a URL on the NFC tag. It can be used to store an advertisement or a promotional message with a link to a website.

NDEF Bluetooth Smart Record - This variant is used to store Bluetooth Smart (BLE) pairing information on an NFC tag. It can be used to quickly pair a device with a BLE device by tapping the NFC tag.

NDEF MIME Media Record - This variant is used to store binary data on the NFC tag, such as images, audio or video files.

NDEF Social Record - This variant is used to store social media profile information on the NFC tag, such as Twitter and LinkedIn handles.

NDEF Handover Select Record - This variant is used to initiate a handover between two devices, this could be either between two NFC devices or between an NFC device and another technology such as Bluetooth.

How much data can an NDEF NFC card store?

The amount of data that an NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) NFC tag can store varies depending on the type of tag.

NDEF Ultralight tags	These tags have a small memory capacity and can typically store up to 144 bytes of data.
NDEF Classic tags	These tags have a larger memory capacity and can typically store 2 kilobytes (KB) of data.
NDEF Plus tags	These tags are more expensive and have a larger memory capacity than classic tags, and can typically store up to 32 KB of data.

It's important to note that the amount of data that an NFC tag can store depends on the tag's memory size and the format of the data that is stored. Some types of data, such as images or audio files, require more storage space than text or simple URLs. Additionally, the number of records that can be stored on the tag also affects the amount of data that can be stored, as each record takes some bytes of the memory.

Therefore, when choosing an NFC tag, it's important to consider the amount of data that needs to be stored and to choose a tag with the appropriate memory capacity for your specific use case.

Conclusion

Overall, NFC is a convenient and secure way to exchange information and to perform transactions, it's a simple, intuitive and secure technology that makes many aspects of life easier and more efficient.