What is NFC? Everything you need to know
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless communication standard similar to BLE or Wi-Fi, but works over short range typically 10cm or less. NFC is a radio frequency (RF) signal initiated by an active NFC device such as a smartphone or reader, and another active or passive device such as an NFC tag to transfer data.
All NFC tags consist of an antenna coil and a small chip that is bonded to the antenna. When a mobile phone is within range of an NFC tag, its antenna becomes energized and powers the chip, which stores data. This antenna plus chip combo can be embedded inside a variety of form factors: circular/square stickers, business cards, access control cards, keychains, bank cards and even e-passports. Typically, the larger the antenna the longer the read range. The chip memory size ranges from 144 bytes, large enough to store a URL, to 36 kilobytes to store a person’s photo on an e-passport.
How does NFC work?
he tech involved is deceptively simple. Evolved from radio frequency identification (RFID) tech, an NFC chip operates as one part of a wireless link. Once it's activated by another chip, small amounts of data between the two devices can be transferred when held a few centimeters from each other.
No pairing code is necessary to link up and because it uses chips that run on very low amounts of power (or passively, using even less), it's much more power-efficient than other wireless communication types.
At its core, NFC works to identify us by our enabled cards and devices (and by extension, our bank accounts and other personal info.)
How can I use NFC right now?
NFC chips stocked inside credit cards for contactless payments is nothing new. But a more recent and admittedly more enticing use case for NFC is with your smartphone, which can digitize your entire wallet.
Virtually every mobile OS maker has their own apps that offer unique NFC functionality. Android users have the widest variety to choose from. First off, US users can nab Google Wallet, which accesses your funds for contactless payments. Samsung Pay, which operates similarly, is on the way for Samsung phone users in US and Korea this Summer.
However, a feature that all Android owners have been able to enjoy is called Android Beam. It was implemented in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 as a nifty, simple process that allows for the transfer of photos, contacts and directions that works by holding two phones together.
Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus received NFC functionality, albeit with limited use so far, only for Apple Pay. It's a lot like Google Wallet, in that it's an app which gives users the ability to pay for goods and services at participating retailers. Lastly, those who prefer Microsoft's Windows Phone will be able to use Microsoft Payments when it launches likely around the launch of Windows 10.
Whichever device you have, it's likely that a local supermarket, train station, taxi or coffee shop supports contactless payments via your phone's NFC chip. Go try it out! Simply hold it close to a contactless payment terminal and instantly, like swiping a credit card, the payment will complete.
Looking toward the future, it's possible that NFC chips could be used to replace every card in your wallet. That means the unique info on your frequent shopper loyalty cards, library card, business cards and the like could be contained and transmitted simply via NFC.
WHICH PHONES HAVE NFC?
Most of the new Android, Windows and Blackberry smartphones come with NFC as a built-in feature. NFC World keeps a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the available smart devices available in the market (link). To start using NFC on your phone, insure that NFC is enabled on your device. To scan a tag bring the device a few centimeters away from the tag. Apple has included NFC in the iPhone 6, but for now it can only be used for Apple Pay. However, Apple is expected to open the iOS platform for third party NFC app development by end of 2015.
APPLICATIONS OF NFC
There are thousands of applications that use NFC, however, the following are the most popular:
PAYMENTS
Several banking institutions around the word have been issuing debit and credit cards with NFC that can be used to tap and pay at the POS. This has shortened the transaction processing time to a few seconds. Google introduced Host Card Emulation (HCE) in Android 4.4, which enabled NFC devices to be used for contactless payments. With HCE, any app on an Android 4.4 device or higher can emulate an NFC card by having users tap to initiate transactions. Visit this link to find out more about HCE. In 2014Q3, Apple announced support for NFC enabled transactions as part of their Apple Pay program.
TRANSPORTATION
There are numerous municipalities around the globe that use NFC cards and readers to charge for public transit fair. With HCE mobile devices can also be used, in-lieu of cards, to tap and pay for transit fair.
ACCESS CONTROL
Many hotels are replacing the magnetic stripe readers with NFC readers for room access. Phones can also be programmed to access to emulate room keys.
EVENTS
NFC cards or bracelets can be used for ticketless entry, pay for items at event, interact with exhibits and exchange contact information.
PAIRING DEVICES
NFC simple setup makes it ideal for to pair different devices over more complex communication interfaces such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. A good example is Android Beam, which initiates the pairing using NFC to establish Bluetooth connection between two devices.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NFC AND RFID?
NFC is a distant cousin of RFID. One way to think about it is that RFID is a wireless barcode, and NFC is a wireless smartcard. NFC is designed to be a secure form of data exchange and works on short range. RFID is used for identification and works over long range.
هذا النص هو مثال لنص يمكن أن يستبدل في نفس المساحة، لقد تم توليد هذا النص من مولد النص العربى، حيث يمكنك أن تولد مثل هذا النص
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