NFC, as the English abbreviation for Near Field Communication, is a technology that enables data exchange between devices in close proximity. It evolved from the integration of contactless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and interconnection technologies. By consolidating the functions of an inductive card reader, an inductive card, and point-to-point communication onto a single chip, Near Field Communication utilizes mobile terminals to power a wide range of applications, including mobile payment, electronic ticketing, access control, mobile identity recognition, and anti-counterfeiting.
The “near-field” in the Chinese name of NFC refers to the radio waves in close proximity to the electromagnetic field. Because radio waves are actually electromagnetic waves, they follow Maxwell’s equations. The electric and magnetic fields alternate in energy conversion as they propagate from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna, and they reinforce each other during the conversion process. For example, the radio signals used in our mobile phones propagate using this principle, which is called far-field communication. Within the 10 wavelengths of electromagnetic waves, the electric field and magnetic field are independent of each other. At this point, the electric field has little significance, but the magnetic field can be used for short-range communication, which we call near-field communication.
The application of NFC technology has received widespread attention worldwide, and various roles such as telecommunications operators and mobile phone manufacturers at home and abroad have launched application pilot projects. Some international association organizations are also actively engaged in standardization work. According to industry insiders’ predictions, mobile applications based on near-field communication technology will become the next killer application for mobile value-added services.
The NFC standard specifies a flexible gateway system for compatibility with contactless smart cards, which is divided into three working modes: point-to-point communication mode, reader/writer mode, and NFC card simulation mode.
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1.Point-to-point form
Point to point mode, in which two NFC devices can exchange data. For example, multiple digital cameras and mobile phones with NFC capabilities can be wirelessly interconnected using NFC technology to exchange data such as virtual business cards or digital photos.
For point-to-point form, the key refers to connecting two devices that both have NFC functionality, so that data transmission between points can be achieved. By taking the peer-to-peer form as a prerequisite, NFC enabled mobile phones and related devices such as computers can truly achieve point-to-point wireless connection and data transmission, and in subsequent related applications, it can be used not only for local applications but also for network applications. Therefore, the application of point-to-point form plays a very important role in the rapid Bluetooth connection between different devices and their communication data transmission.
2.Card reader mode
Read/write mode, in which NFC devices are used as contactless readers. For example, NFC enabled phones play the role of readers when interacting with tags, while NFC enabled phones can read and write tags that support NFC data format standards.
NFC communication in card reader mode can be used as a non-contact card reader to read relevant information from exhibition information electronic tags, movie posters, advertising pages, etc. NFC phones in card reader mode can collect data resources from TAGs and complete information processing functions according to certain application requirements. Some application functions can be directly completed locally, while others require integration with mobile communication networks such as TD-LTE. The NFC application fields based on card reader mode include advertising reading, ticket reading, cinema ticket sales, etc. For example, if a TAG tag is attached to the back of a movie poster, users can carry a mobile phone that supports NFC protocol to obtain movie information or connect to purchase movie tickets. The NFC mode of the card reader can also support the acquisition of bus stop information and tourist attraction map information, improving the convenience of people’s tourism transportation.
3.Card simulation form
Simulated card mode, which simulates NFC enabled devices as a tag or contactless card. For example, NFC enabled mobile phones can be read as access cards, bank cards, etc.
The key to card simulation is to simulate NFC enabled devices into a contactless card mode, such as bank cards and access cards. This form is mainly used in contactless mobile payments such as shopping malls or transportation. In the specific application process, users only need to hold their mobile phones or other related electronic devices close to the card reader and enter the corresponding password to complete the transaction. For cards in the form of card simulation, the key is to implement power supply processing through the RF domain of the contactless card reader, so that NFC devices can continue to work even if they have no power. In addition, for card simulation applications, data can be collected from NFC enabled devices and transmitted to the corresponding processing system for processing. This form can also be applied to various aspects such as ban systems and local payments.
4.Comparison between NFC and RFID
Firstly, the working modes are different. NFC integrates point-to-point communication, reader/writer, and contactless card functions into one chip, while RFID consists of two parts: a reader and a tag. NFC technology can both read and write, while RFID can only read and determine information.
Secondly, the transmission distance varies. NFC transmission distance is much smaller than RFID, with NFC transmission distance only 10 centimeters, while RFID transmission distance can reach several meters or even tens of meters. NFC is a close range private communication method, which has the characteristics of close range, high bandwidth, low energy consumption, and high security compared to RFID.
Thirdly, the application fields are different. NFC is more widely used in the field of consumer electronics, playing a huge role in areas such as access control, public transportation, and mobile payments; RFID is better at long-distance identification and is more commonly used in production, logistics, tracking, and asset management.
5.Comparison between NFC and Bluetooth
NFC and Bluetooth are both short-range communication technologies. Compared to Bluetooth, which has been integrated into mobile phones for a long time and has been widely used, NFC has only been integrated into mobile phones in recent years and has only been integrated into a few mobile phones so far.
Firstly, the establishment time is different. The NFC communication setup program is simple, and the communication establishment time is very short, only about 0.1 seconds; The Bluetooth communication setup program is relatively complex, and the communication establishment time is relatively long, taking about 6 seconds.
Secondly, the transmission distance is different. NFC transmission distance is only 10cm, while Bluetooth transmission distance can reach 10m. However, NFC is slightly better than Bluetooth in terms of transmission power consumption and security.
Thirdly, the transmission speed and operating frequency are different. NFC operates at 13.56MHz with a maximum transmission speed of 424 Kbit/s, while Bluetooth operates at 2.4GHz with a transmission speed of up to 2.1 Mbit/s.
6.Comparison between NFC and Infrared
Compared with infrared transmission, NFC has a similar transmission distance, but faster transmission speed. NFC transmission speed can reach up to 424 Kbit/s, while infrared transmission speed is about 100 Kbit/s. NFC has a slightly faster setup time than infrared, with NFC setup time of 0.1 seconds and infrared transmission setup time of 0.5 seconds. Infrared transmission requires strict alignment to transmit data, and there must be no obstacles in between, while NFC does not have this limitation; Additionally, NFC is more secure and reliable than infrared.