NFC

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a new, short-range wireless connectivity technology that evolved from a combination of existing contactless identification and interconnection technologies. It uses magnetic field induction to enable communication between electronic devices in close proximity. Based on RFID technology, NFC provides a medium for the identification protocols that validate secure data transfer. NFC enables users to perform intuitive, safe, contactless transactions, access digital content and connect electronic devices simply by touching or bringing devices into close proximity.

NFC operates in a frequency range cantered on 13.56 MHz and offers a data transmission rate of up to 424 kbit/s within a distance of approximately 10 centimetres. Modulation schemes are amplitude on/off keying (OOK) with different modulation depth (100 % or 10 %) and BPSK. NFC uses an inductive coupling similar to the transformer principle, the magnetic near-field of two conductor coils is used to couple the polling device (initiator) and listening device (target).

Communications between NFC-capable devices can be active-active (peer-to-peer) as well as active-passive; NFC therefore represents a link to the RFID world. It is backwards compatible with the widely used Smart Card infrastructure. NFC lets you interact securely with the world around you with a simple touch. NFC is available in hundreds of millions of Smartphone’s, tablets, and other consumer electronics. NFC enabled mobile devices will allow consumers to store and access all kinds of personal data at home or on the move. Simply by bringing two NFC-enabled devices close together, they automatically initiate network communications without requiring the user to configure the setup. NFC is intended to be used as an access key to contents and for services such as cashless payment, ticketing and access control.