What is NFC?

Near Field Communication explained simply

Near Field Communication, or NFC for short, is a standardized contactless communication interface based on RFID between two devices located in the near field area. The standard was jointly defined by NXP Semiconductors and Sony in 2002 and has since been continuously developed with the help of other companies, such as Nokia. The goal was to establish an internationally valid transmission standard for the fast and uncomplicated exchange of data between two end devices. In 2006, the first NFC-capable cell phone was introduced. Today, most cell phones, as well as many other electronic items, already come with integrated Near Field Communication technology.

How does NFC work?

The technology works with a frequency of 13.56 MHz and the standards ISO/IEC 14443 and ISO/IEC 15693 and is therefore fully compatible with most RFID transponders as well as RFID readers on the market. For communication, it is sufficient if one of the devices is live. The ranges are limited to a few centimeters and are thus optimally suited for targeted as well as security-relevant applications. Due to the intuitive handling, the advanced security standard and the meanwhile high distribution, the technology is suitable for many use cases.

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Communication methods

The following three modes of communication exist:
In read/write mode, a read/write-capable device (e.g., cell phone) reads or writes data to a passive transponder. In peer-to-peer mode, two NFC devices communicate directly with each other via the NFC interface. In card emulation mode, an NFC device can act as an NFC transponder and thus be used for contactless payment, for example.