Near-field communication
Short-range wireless protocol for data exchange and charging.
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Near-field communication (NFC) is a standard for short-range wireless data exchange between devices, with a maximum operating distance of about 4 centimeters. It provides a low-speed link that can be established with minimal setup, often used to initiate more capable wireless connections like Wi-Fi.
NFC wireless charging (WLC)
The technology relies on inductive coupling between two electromagnetic coils, such as those found in smartphones, and operates at 13.56 MHz within the globally unlicensed ISM radio band. In addition to data transfer, NFC can also deliver wireless charging at up to 1 watt over distances up to 2 centimeters, a feature standardized by the NFC Forum as NFC Wireless Charging (WLC). This lower-power charging is especially suited for compact devices like earbuds, wearables, and other small Internet of Things gadgets, where space for a larger antenna is limited.
NFC standards
NFC standards, defined by the NFC Forum and based on earlier RFID standards like ISO/IEC 14443 and FeliCa, cover communication protocols and data exchange formats. The GSMA group has also developed a platform for deploying NFC standards in mobile handsets, including specifications for a Trusted Services Manager, Single Wire Protocol, and secure elements. Application software on NFC-enabled devices can read electronic tags or process payments when interacting with compliant systems, replacing earlier proprietary technologies. A patent licensing program for NFC was initiated by France Brevets but later terminated in May 2012; a free and open-source NFC library is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License.
History
NFC technology traces its roots to radio-frequency identification (RFID), which allows a reader to power and communicate with passive tags for identification and tracking. The first patent using the term "RFID" was granted in 1983. An early form of NFC was patented in 1997 and used in Star Wars toys for Hasbro. In 2002, Philips and Sony agreed to develop a technical specification, and Philips later filed six fundamental NFC patents.
NFC became an ISO/IEC standard in December 2003 and an ECMA standard shortly after. The NFC Forum was founded in 2004 by Nokia, Philips, and Sony, and that same year Nokia released an NFC shell add-on for its 5140 model. Initial NFC tag specifications and SmartPoster records were released in 2006.
Quick Facts
- Frequency
- 13.56 MHz
- Maximum distance
- 4 cm / 1.57 in
- Data rates
- 106 to 848 kbit/s
- Standard
- ISO/IEC 18000-3
- Wireless charging power
- up to 1 W
- Wireless charging distance
- up to 2 cm / 0.787 in
- Wireless charging standard
- NFC Wireless Charging (WLC)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
NFC technology is rooted in radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, which allows compatible hardware to both supply power to and communicate with an otherwise unpowered and passive electronic tag using radio waves. The first patent associated with the abbreviation 'RFID' was granted to Charles Walton on 17 May 1983. In 1997, an early form was patented and first used in Star Wars character toys for Hasbro. On 25 March 2002, Philips and Sony agreed to establish a technology specification and created a technical outline.
Philips Semiconductors applied for the six fundamental patents of NFC, invented by the Austrian and French engineers Franz Amtmann and Philippe Maugars, who received the European Inventor Award in 2015. NFC was approved as an ISO/IEC standard on 8 December 2003, and later as an ECMA standard. In 2004, Nokia, Philips and Sony established the NFC Forum. The first NFC-capable smartphone, the Nokia C7, was released in 2010, with the NFC feature enabled by software update in early 2011.
The Samsung Nexus S, the first Android NFC phone, was shown in 2010. In 2011, independent development of lightweight NFC stacks addressed the resource constraints of early mobile secure elements. Google I/O 'How to NFC' demonstrated NFC to initiate a game and to share a contact, URL, app or video in 2011. NFC support became part of the Symbian mobile operating system with the release of Symbian Anna version in 2011.
Reader's Guide
NFC's significance lies in its ability to enable contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi. When one of the connected devices has Internet connectivity, the other can exchange data with online services. The NFC Forum has helped define and promote the technology, setting standards for certifying device compliance.
Secure communications are available by applying encryption algorithms, as is done for credit cards. The NFC Forum developed a specific wireless charging specification, NFC Wireless Charging (WLC), which allows devices to charge with up to 1 W of power over distances of up to 2 cm, particularly suitable for smaller devices like earbuds, wearables, and other compact IoT appliances. Compared to the Qi wireless charging standard, which offers up to 15 W over distances up to 4 cm, NFC WLC provides lower power output but benefits from a significantly smaller antenna size, making it ideal for space-constrained devices.
The NFC Forum also facilitates a certification program, Test Release 13.1 (TR13.1), ensuring products adhere to the WLC 2.0 specification, aiming to establish trust and consistency across NFC implementations. A patent licensing program for NFC was under deployment by France Brevets, and was under development by Via Licensing Corporation, an independent subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories, and was terminated in May 2012. A platform-independent free and open source NFC library is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Near-field communication (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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