Near Field Communication(NFC) Explained
Most smartphones if not all come with NFC technology. NFC has enabled a lot of possibilities from data sharing to payments.
What is NFC?
NFC stands for Near Field Communication and is a set of standards for mobile devices to establish radio communication with each other by bringing them into close proximity. It requires at least one transmitting device, and another to receive the signal. A range of devices can use the NFC standard and will be considered either passive or active.
Passive NFC devices include tags, and other small transmitters, that can send information to other NFC devices without the need for a power source of their own. However, they don’t process any information sent from other sources, and can’t connect to other passive components.
Public transport card readers and touch payment terminals are also good examples of the technology.
How does it work?
NFC is like RFID but limited to 4 inches. That is why you have to hold your phone close to the contactless reader if you are using it for payments through Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. It evolved from radio frequency identification (RFID) tech where an NFC chip operates as one part of a wireless link. Once it’s activated by another chip, small amounts of data between the two devices can be transferred when held a few centimetres from each other.
The transmission frequency for data across NFC is 13.56 megahertz. You can send data at either 106, 212, or 424 kilobits per second. That’s quick enough for a range of data transfers from contact details to swapping pictures and music.
NFC Devices have three Modes:
To determine what sort of information will be exchanged between devices, the NFC standard currently has three distinct modes of operation.
The most common use in smartphones is the peer-to-peer mode. It allows two NFC-enabled devices to exchange various pieces of information between each other. In this mode, both devices switch between active when sending data and passive when receiving.
Read/write mode, is one-way data transmission. The active device, possibly your smartphone, links up with another device in order to read information from it. NFC advert tags use this mode. The final mode of operation is card emulation. The NFC device can function as a smart or contactless credit card and make payments or taps into public transport systems.
Where it is used:
NFC is being used in credit cards, debit cards, transport cards, mobile phones, smartwatches for easy and fast contactless payments. There’s also Android Beam, implemented way back in 2011 that allows for the transfer of photos, contacts, and directions by holding two phones together. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology allows users to make secure transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch
Conclusion
Near Field Communication (NFC) is based on a short- range wireless connectivity, designed for intuitive, simple and safe interaction between electronic devices. It is a easy to use wireless communication interface for last few centimeters. It is easy to use target selection by simply holding two devices close to each other. NFC IS AS EASY AS TAPPING ON SOMETHING.
