Near-Field Communication (NFC) is an evolution of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology that allows objects to respond to the tap of a mobile device. Although the tags are being used for making payments from a wireless bank card or a mobile phone, there are many more applications. NFC takes the identification and low cost capabilities of RFID and extends them with processing and authentication within the NFC tag. This transforms the already dynamic mobile user experience in a way that enables the “Internet of Things”. Tags in “smart posters” or location based check-in signs, games or media content on a friends’ tablet, and ticketing or payment terminal contactless readers can now interact with your mobile device in a secure yet simple way. NFC technology is even being used in secure access systems to replace locks and to provide information on the label of a wine bottle.
There are a number of NFC standards available, operating in the 13.56 MHz unlicensed band, but the new generation of tag readers supports a wide range of bands to allow designers to implement systems that read a wide range of different tags. This interoperability creates the broad ecosystem that is essential to increase the volume usage of the tags and so bring the costs down to the point where NFC can be ubiquitous.
NFC standardizes a super set of technology from three vendors, including NXP, and provides links up to 424 kbit/s for low traffic applications such as setting up links for faster links such as Bluetooth or transferring a web address that can be downloaded via a Wi-Fi or 3G network.
Read More: Getting Started With NFC