[Android] Near Field Communication - Introduction

  Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short range radio technology that enables communication between devices in close proximity usually no more than few centimeters.

  NFC standards are based on RFID standards including ISO 14443 and operates on 13.56 MHz frequency.

  NFC Forum develops specifications and maintains standards around NFC which is an open platform technology. NFC technology is promoted and used by Mobile network operators, Financial Institutions, Merchants to name a few.

  

  

  

NFC standards support different data transmission rates including

-  106 kbps

-  212 kbps

-  424 kbps

Use cases include the following but not limited to 

Standard bodies around NFC include

-  ISO

-  GSMA

-  NFC Forum

-  ETSI/SCP (Smart Card Platform) 

-  Global Platform

-  EMVCo

NFC is supported in the following Mobile device OS

-  Android

-  Windows 8

-  Blackberry

Most notable OS to not support NFC as of 2013 Feb is iOs.

  Android Beam is a feature of Android mobile operating system to allow data to be transferred via NFC. It allows exchange of contact info, photos, files etc.Android Beam was introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0). Android NFC API itself was introduced in API Level 9, 2.3 version.

  

NFC Tag/Reader

  When NFC communication happens between two devices, one acts as a reader/writer and the other a tag. NFC devices can operate in two modes: active, passive.

  NFC Tag

  -  contains antenna

  -  memory

  -  is a passive device

  -  powered by magnetic field

  -  can be read-only, write once, re-writable

  NFC Reader

  -  active device

  -  generates radio signal

  -  powers passive device

  NFC Controllers on mobile device generally support 3 interfaces (operating modes)

  -  peer to peer interface to communicate with another nfc device (NFC IP-1)

  -  read/write interface to communicate with nfc tag (ISO 18092)

  -  card emulation interface to talk to merchant point of sale systems (ISO 14443)

  

  NFC Tag Types