Near Field Communications (NFC)
- a wireless solution for very short range communications similar in many
aspects to RFID
There is a growing number of applications where a form of
very short range communications is needed. One technology that can meet this
need is called Near Field Communications or NFC. While it does not have the hype
of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMax, Zigbee, RFID or others, Near Field Communications
(NFC) appears to be set to become a major presence in the wireless
communications arena.
Concept
NFC technology has evolved from a combination of contact-less identification and
interconnection technologies including RFID and it allows connectivity to be
achieved very easily over distances of a few centimetres. Simply by bringing two
electronic devices close together they are able to communicate and this greatly
simplifies the issues of identification and security, making it far easier to
exchange information. In this way it is anticipated that Near Field
Communications, NFC technology will allow the complex set-up procedures required
for some longer range technologies to be avoided.
In one application being proposed it could be used to
configure the connection between two wireless devices. By bringing them together
and initiating a set-up procedure, communication could take place over the NFC
interface to configure the longer range wireless device such as Bluetooth,
802.11 or other relevant standard. Once set up the two devices could operate
over the longer range allowed by the second communication system.
NFC is ideally placed to provide a link with the contact-less
smart card technology that is already used for ticketing and payment
applications. It is broadly compatible with the existing standards that have
been set in place. Accordingly it is quite possible that NFC enabled devices
could be used for these applications as well.
There are many other applications for near field
communications, NFC. These could include general downloading data from digital
cameras or mobile phones, as well as any other data communication required
between two devices.
NFC and RFID
There are many similarities between Near Field Communications (NFC) and RFID as
both NFC and RFID both operate very much in the contact-less connections arena.
In this way NFC is ideal for many applications such as ticketing and e-commerce
where RFID has already made an impact. However as NFC is able to act as a
peer-to-peer communications link and this enables it to be far more powerful.
Accordingly using NFC it is possible to transfer large amounts of data, allowing
it to be used in a wide variety of applications. However it is anticipated that
NFC will develop many new applications and RFID will still remain a h4
player in the contact-less monitoring arena.
Beginnings
Near Field Communication Technology, NFC has many of its routes in the RFID
business. Some of the basic ideas came directly from RFID work that had been
previously undertaken. Now Sony and Phillips have taken the lead and jointly
developed the technology. It follows on from their proprietary smart card
protocols and can be seen as an initiative to move forward the contact-less
ticketing and payment applications that are seen as the next stage in this
market. The standard for the technology was approved as an ISO/IEC standard on
December 8 2003, having been approved earlier as an ECMA standard. The next
stage in the standardisation process came when Nokia, Sony, and Phillips formed
the NFC forum on 18th March 2004.
Standards and capability
With Near Field Communications set to become widely accepted in many
applications, the system has been standardised by a number of globally accepted
standards bodies. NFC has standards accepted by ISO (18092), ECMA (340) and
ETSI. Additionally NFC is compatible with Philips' MIFARE� (ISO 14443 A) and
Sony's FeliCa smart card protocols.
Basic capability
NFC technology operates by using magnetic field induction. It also uses operates
within the globally available and unregulated 13.56 MHz frequency band. However
with a maximum operating distance of around 10 centimetres it is unlikely to
cause interference to other users.
The data transfer rate may be either 106, 212 or 424 kbps and
there is a possibility of higher data rates later. There are also two modes of
operation, namely one way (passive), or two way (active). In addition to the
original modes a third mode of operation is being introduced where the NFC unit
communicates with un-powered tags, supplying them with the power required as the
NFC device with power is brought into range.
Summary
Although Near Field Communications, NFC, may at first sight appear to be, "just
another wire-less system", or similar to RFID this is not the case and it
appears that it will find a number of applications. Already backed by a number
of large manufacturers, and with standards already agreed, as well as
applications in ticketing and payment waiting to be exploited, the technology
should start to appear in a wide variety of products before long.
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