What does nfc mean in smartphones. What is NFC in a smartphone and how to use it? What gadgets are equipped with an NFC module

Initially, NFC (Near Field Communication) technology was widely used as a technology for making contactless payments. You can use a smart card with a built-in ticket in public transport, as a "smart" business card, as a payment card in institutions retail or as a contactless key card.

What is NFC?

If we translate the name of the Near Field Communication technology from English, then we will get the phrase "near field communication". This can be deciphered as wireless communication over short distances. Thus, two NFC-enabled devices can easily communicate with each other if they are nearby. Indeed - "long-range" NFC technology is only a couple of centimeters.

Key use cases

Of course, the very first thing that comes to mind is the transfer of data between smartphones.
Instant "pairing" with Bluetooth accessories that support NFC.
Also, with the help of NFC, you can turn your device into a real virtual wallet.
Another application of NFC is tags. Small cards can be programmed through programs and set up profiles, run a variety of applications.

Smartphones with NFC

Recently, this excellent technology has been increasingly used in devices such as smartphones: almost all major manufacturers began to equip their high and mid-range models with NFC adapters.

In the Android OS, support for NFC technology appeared in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - its built-in Beam option allows you to share various files between devices. in the majority modern devices on the Android OS platform, NFC adapters are already built in.

How to use NFC on your phone

Activation

If your smartphone has an NFC adapter, you need to allow it to be used to exchange information between other NFC devices.
Go to Settings - Wireless & networks - More...
Check the box "Allow information sharing when combining a smartphone with another device"
This automatically activates the Android Beam option.
In case Android Beam does not turn on automatically, just click on it and then select "Yes" to activate it.

Data exchange via NFC

Once you have enabled NFC, you can use it to transfer information. For successful data exchange between smartphones and tablets, pay attention to the following:

In addition to exchanging data between smartphones, you can use your device to read or write information from NFC tags and smart cards that are equipped with an NFC chip.

NFC chips are very compact, they can be embedded anywhere - in bracelets, product labels, business cards, stickers, price tags and other items. They can contain information about a person, a URL, product data, and even various commands that your smartphone will have to execute when you touch such tags.

To read information from NFC tags, of course, you need a special application.

Pay with NFC

Benefits of payments using NFC technology:

Speed - an NFC payment is always faster than a bank card or cash payment, especially if the amount is small.
Comfort — one smartphone can replace one or more plastic cards. The smartphone becomes both a communicator and a wallet.
Ticketing - payments in transport, payment for travel on buses, subways and other public transport.
Peer-to-peer NFC transactions - in the future, this is the ability to support NFC data exchange between two devices.

Of course, there is the issue of security. However, like a plastic bank card, it is possible to quickly block a lost phone with NFC technology - as well as a linked bank card. True, and to use a smartphone, you need a PIN code for the phone, as well as a PIN code for transactions. In the paypass system, the default card PIN request occurs for amounts from 1000 rubles, but this plan can always be lowered.

Development prospects

As a communication technology, NFC has a wide range of applications that can expand. Thus, with the help of NFC, the following contactless technologies can be implemented: access control to the premises, payments via smartphone - in particular in stores and public transport, various solutions in the field of healthcare, consumer electronics, information exchange programs.

Amazing opportunities open up in the field of e-commerce - a device that supports NFC can act as a travel ticket, discount coupon, wallet, boarding pass. NFC tags in stores allow you to quickly get additional information about the product and other stores with this product. can be installed in a gallery, museum or exhibition hall - when reading such a label, you will receive the necessary information about the object.

Single-chip systems RF430FRL15xH and systems in the RF430F59XX package with MSP430 processor cores are all produced by Texas Instruments for system developers with data reading using NFC technology.

The NCF (Near Field Communications) standard is a near field communication that allows bidirectional data exchange between devices. Depending on the geometry of the antenna and the power of the field generated by the devices, the distance at which communications are possible varies from a few centimeters to half a meter. The NFC technology is based on the standard for contactless cards and RFID tags in the 13.56 MHz range.

The integration of NFC chips into mobile phones has caused an active promotion of the technology and a significant expansion of its scope. NFC technology can simplify many aspects of everyday life: sharing digital content, getting information, setting up devices to work together. A stable growth in the number of manufactured and implemented devices supporting near-field communications is observed and predicted.

NFC: frequency range, exchange rates, description of the NFCIP protocol

NFC allows data to be exchanged between devices at a relatively high speed, comparable to BLE and ZigBee technologies, but effective distances rarely exceed a few tens of centimeters (Figure 1). On the one hand, this limits the scope of application to personal devices or cards, on the other hand, due to the limited range, the security of data exchange is slightly increased. In addition, in some cases, NFC devices do not need a power source.

Applications for NFC today include:

non-cash payments;
payment of travel in municipal transport;
time tracking and execution control systems;
identification and access control systems;
interactive stands and posters;
setting up Bluetooth or Wi-Fi devices to work together.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interfaces have become almost standard for modern phones, smartphones and tablet computers, allowing you to interact with headphones, cameras, microphones. With a large number of gadgets, quickly setting up communication between the right devices can be a problem.

For example, to connect the device to a smartphone or tablet computer via Bluetooth, it must be put into connection search mode, usually by pressing or holding a specific button. Then you need to select it on your smartphone from the list of available devices, and it can be quite long.

NFC makes it much easier this process– to establish a connection between devices, it will be enough to bring them to each other for a short time. In addition, after the connection is established, the required application can be automatically launched. The NFC Forum™ and the Bluetooth SIG have jointly developed the Bluetooth Secure Simple Pairing using NFC document, which defines a message format for establishing a connection (called "pairing") between Bluetooth devices through NFC devices.

There are two modes of establishing a connection:

direct connection, in which connection parameters are transferred, the procedure for establishing a connection and setting up a data transmission channel between two devices is monitored;
indirect connection, when an NFC smartphone or tablet acts as an intermediary for transferring connection parameters between the device and its connection point (for example, between a laptop and a wireless access point).

In addition to helping to establish a connection between devices, NFC can act as a simple and cheap service interface:

an NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet can play the role of a universal display for displaying device status or the role of a console for its administration and configuration;
wireless connection does not require special connectors, and the use of a radio channel allows you to abandon the transparent windows that are typical for infrared ports;
possible contactless firmware update or regional adaptation of the product directly in the package.

The NFCIP standard - Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol - contains two parts NFCIP-1 and NFCIP-2. NFCIP-1 is standardized in ISO / IEC 18092, ECMA 340, ETSI TS 102190 documents. It defines two exchange modes - active and passive, defines frequency bands, modulation types and data rates (106, 212, 424 kbps), procedures device discovery and communication. NFCIP-1 also describes transport layer protocols, including connection establishment and release protocols, communication protocols, packet formats, and error detection procedures.

NFCIP-2 is standardized in ISO/IEC 21481, ECMA 352, ESTI TS 102312 and defines the mechanisms for interoperability of ISO 18092, ISO 14443, ISO 15693 devices operating in the 13.56 MHz band.

NFC communication channel: device roles, connection modes

The standard defines three possible modes of operation for NFC devices:

point-to-point mode;
card emulation mode;
reader mode.

The point-to-point mode provides for bidirectional data exchange between devices. In this case, each of the devices can, if necessary, initiate an exchange.

In card emulation mode, the NFC device functions as a proximity card/tag.

The reader can read and write data to NFC/RFID devices and contactless cards, as well as power passive NCF devices.

NFC Solutions from Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments provides a wide range of near field communications products to meet virtually every market need today. The company's NFC hardware solutions include high-performance and flexible transponders, RF430FRL15xH single-chip systems, and RF430F59XX packaged systems with MSP430 processor cores.

RF430CL330H

RF430FRL15xH series transponders

The RF430FRL15xH is a 13.56 MHz transponder with an integrated 16-bit low power MSP430 controller (Figure 6). A non-volatile memory is used to store the program and data. RAM FRAM technology.

FRAM is effective in NFC applications due to its high speed and low power consumption, combined with data retention when the power is turned off. The non-volatility of the built-in FRAM-memory RF430FRL15xH allows this transponder to be freely used both in self-powered applications and in applications powered by the external electromagnetic field of the reader.

RF430FRL15xH supports communication, parameter setting and configuration via wireless interface (ISO/IEC 15693, ISO18000-3 standards), as well as via SPI or I2C interface.

Built-in temperature sensor, low-power 14-bit ADC, two configurable analog amplifiers allow the RF430FRL15xH to be used as a stand-alone sensor node serving both digital and analog sensors.

The main features of the transponder:

radio interface ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18000-3 (Mode 1);
power supply selection: external source power or electromagnetic field;
built-in temperature sensor, interface to resistive sensor;
16-bit checksum calculation (CRC) block;
microcontroller core MSP430 (2 KB FRAM, 4 KB RAM, 8 KB ROM);
supply voltage - 1.45 ... 1.65 V (current consumption 260 μA / MHz, in power saving modes - 9 ... 15 μA);
multiple clock sources (4 MHz, 256 kHz, external clock);
eUSCI interface module supporting SPI and I2C;
JTAG debug interface.

RF430F59XX

The NFCLink Evaluation Kit Bundle contains the Target Board, USB Experimenter's Board, Target Board and Experimenter Board debug boards (Figure 8).

Today, more and more mobile device manufacturers are equipping smartphones with NFC. This chip is built into many phones of different price segments. What is this technology, and what opportunities can it open up for the user? mobile device?

Translated Near field communication (NFC) sounds like “near field communication”. It's a special interface. wireless communication, the main characteristic of which is considered to be a small radius of action (no more than 10 m). The following distinguishing features of NFC can be distinguished:

Small chip sizes.
Ability to exchange with other smartphones.
Low battery consumption.
The setup and installation time of the chip takes only a few seconds.
NFC is notable for its low cost, so manufacturers are now actively installing it even in budget phone models.
NFC has a slow data transfer rate.

Due to its small size and low power consumption, NFC can be used in even miniature devices. The chip is usually fixed inside the back panel or on the battery cover. In order for the user to know which place to put the phone on for data transfer, the place where the NFC chip is installed is marked with a special sticker.

But NFC is just the base. For its full use, there is no clearly debugged algorithm. Therefore, manufacturers mobile applications are forced to develop their own ways of working with NFC. Therefore, when devices and applications from different manufacturers interact, problems can often occur.

How to find out if NFC is installed on a smartphone?

Almost all modern phones, both expensive models and budget options, are equipped with this chip. If you want to know if an NFC chip is installed in your mobile phone, it will be enough to look at the corresponding inscription (Near Field Communication or NFC). It is usually placed on the battery or on the body of the device.

If you could not find such an inscription, then you will have to look in the smartphone itself. In modern Android phones, it is enough to lower the curtain and select the settings menu. Next, you need to enter the wireless settings section, and then click the "More" button. If the phone has a built-in chip, then in this menu you will see the NFC connection item.

Using NFC

The most common use case for NFC is contactless payments. In this case, the user just needs to attach a bank card to the smartphone, and in the future it will be possible to pay for purchases with just one touch of the smartphone to the bank terminal. In this case, you must carefully consider the safety of the phone. A stolen or lost smartphone can be a godsend for scammers.

To make a payment via NFC you need:

Have a card with a paypass mark on hand.
Install the application of the bank to which the card belongs on the smartphone.
Select the NFC button from the menu of this application.
Then you will need to attach a bank card to the back surface to read the data.
Get a password for making payments and remember it (sent via SMS).

NFC can also be used to exchange data. To do this, you need a special program (for Android - Android Beam, for IOS - NFC Writer). Using the application, you can easily transfer any information from one smartphone to another. However, the data transfer rate is very low, so it is best to use this function to send text messages or links.

Another way to use NFC is to write and read tags (similar to reading a QR code). This feature is ideal for use at work and at home. It is only necessary to arm yourself with special programs for recording the necessary information and clean blanks. The following actions can be assigned to the created tags: sending emails and SMS, connecting via Bluetooth, opening links, launching any applications.

There are many interesting technologies in the mobile industry today, including NFC. Most smartphone users have not yet figured out this function and do not know what NFC is in the phone, what this module is for, and how to understand if it is present in a particular device.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Translated, it means "close connection". The main nuance lies in the small radius of action, this figure is no more than 10 cm.

This feature allows for contactless exchanges of information. It is important that the devices are close to each other during data transfer, for example, a smart card, a payment terminal, etc.

NFC is based on RFID, which stands for Radio Frequency Identification. The technology is an RFID that automatically detects various objects. In this case, a special radio signal is used that reads the required information contained in the transponders, which are defined as an NFC tag.

The main features of the presented technology include the following points:

small sensor size;
allows you to exchange any information with smartphones and passive gadgets;
does not require a lot of energy to work;
low speed at the time of information exchange;
pairing with the desired device takes no more than 0.1 seconds;
low technology cost.

Due to the small size and low power consumption given function popular, it is easy to mount in many devices.

Is there a difference between NFC and Bluetooth?

NFC on a phone is often compared to Bluetooth. This is mainly due to contactless transmission and a small radius of action. At the moment, these functions are being implemented immediately in new smartphones.

There are significant differences between the presented technologies. The main nuance is the speed of work. For example, NFC is much slower, but uses little power, and pairing is instant and automatic, unlike Bluetooth.

For example, to use Bluetooth, you need to turn it on, then open the list of available devices, select the one you need and wait for the phone to connect to it. While Near Field Communication takes less than a second to get started on its own, all you need to do is tap your mobile phone to the desired gadget.

The next difference is the transmission speed. For example, NFC has a speed of 424 kbps, and Bluetooth, version 2.1, is 2.1 Mbps. At the moment, some smartphones are implementing Bluetooth version 3.1, which develops speeds up to 40 Mbps.

The third difference is in the field of action. For Bluetooth, this figure is no more than 20 cm, and for NFC - no more than 10. This is an advantage for this communication, because such a small radius will guarantee that you will not connect to an unnecessary gadget.

The presented communication is embedded not only in phones, but also in other gadgets, for example, payment terminals. The receiver itself does not require much space, it is mainly mounted in the free space between the smartphone battery and the cover. But if the phone is not amenable to simple disassembly and you cannot look at its insides, then how to determine the presence of NFC?

Carefully read the external indicators on the phone. Often, developers indicate a small emblem in the form of antennas right on the cover of a mobile phone, indicating the presence of technology. Also, the icon will be located in the top pop-up menu of the phone.

At the moment, NFC is being implemented in all android smartphones, whose version is at least 4.0. Another way to find out about the presence of communication is to go to the settings, select the "Wireless networks" column, then click "More". If the function is listed there, then check the box next to it.

Also, this option is often found in cards designed to pay for travel, or in bank plastic. In addition, they began to build it into household appliances, this includes new refrigerators with the “Smart” option.

Since the release of this technology, some users have been wondering what applications exist. The device can operate in two modes.

Active. It implies that two gadgets have NFC technology.
Passive. The working field of only one of the devices is applied.

The presented communication is designed as a chip that operates in two modes. The first is for mutual data exchange between devices. The second is usually used on special work passes, metro maps, etc.

The most popular use case is contactless payment. Link a bank card to your smartphone, and when paying, put your phone to the terminal. This method guarantees protection against scammers. Attackers will not be able to intercept the signal due to the small field of action of NFC.

You do not need to carry a card with you, you can pay in stores by placing your phone on a terminal that supports contactless payment. How to use the function?

You must have a special bank card where the paypass option is supported.
Install the application from your bank.
Sign in to Personal Area and go to the main menu.
Select the NFC box.
Then attach the card to the back cover of the phone. This is required in order for the sensor to read information on it.

information exchange

The second use case involves information exchange. For this you need to install android application Beam. This software will allow you to transfer various files to another smartphone.

Do not forget that the transfer speed will be extremely low, which is why it is recommended not to send heavy files, but to limit yourself to sending messages or links.

To use this feature, you need to enable NFC in the settings. The activation point is located in the "Wireless networks" column. Then specify which connection you require.

The last item is not recommended because of the low transfer rate. To send the necessary data, you should attach your phone to another. Next, the system will ask for confirmation of the operation, put your finger on the screen. When the sending is completed, you will hear a corresponding tone.

Reading labels

The third use is to read labels. Its principle of operation is similar to scanning a QR code. True, in the case of NFC, it is not a mobile camera that is used, but a sensor under the cover.

This feature is especially useful for home use. Creating your own labels will require the installation of a special application, which can be downloaded from Play market. You can independently assign a specific task to a specific label, for example, “send a message”, “call”, “write a letter”, etc.

Popular programs include:

ABA NFC. Allows you to create a simple symbol;
useful software for connecting to Wi-Fi without a password. That is, your guests do not need to search for wireless Internet and enter a password, you just need to attach it to a phone connected to this network;
Smart Tag Maker. The presented application is suitable only for those who have smartphones from Sony.

These labels are passive. This is because they do not require power to contain information. They have a very small volume, sufficient only to store the desired command. These tags are called TecTiles. To read them, just bring the gadget, after which the command will be activated.

Smartphones can not only read data, but also save it. The main nuance is the installation of a special program. Download the application of the developer who released your phone, or find it on third-party resources. Software for creating records can be paid or free. Be sure to read the description before installing it. It is important that it supports the brand of your smartphone.

You can also purchase TecTiles as a smart card, keychain, fitness bracelet, dongle or sticker. It is worth noting that such gadgets have a larger volume. Experts recommend not to save at the time of purchase of this technology. The quality of communication must be high, then it will last a sufficient time.

Pros and cons of the module

Among the main advantages are a small indicator of energy consumption, reasonable price, ease of use and safety. But before you start using NFC, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances.

Let's analyze the main disadvantages of NFC.

Small working radius. This brings some discomfort when using. Although, at the same time, this indicator creates maximum protection. You will not be able to randomly produce a command, pay for a purchase, etc.
Uncontrolled creation of modifications for NFC. For example, the developers of Sony and Haomi took up the finalization of the transmission technology. They independently make consumables that carry out their work only with the gadgets of their company. In other words, in order to use all the NFC options, you will only have to purchase smartphones of specific brands. This also includes the installation of special applications from the same developer.

Some of the shortcomings are corrected gradually. Developers do not abandon their technology and constantly make various improvements.

Conclusion

Today NFC is modern solution A for sending information. But not all smartphones support this technology. If your phone is not modified, then you can purchase a special antenna yourself. Install it under the cover of the gadget or take the spare parts to a service where a specialist will do everything for you.

Another way to get to know NFC personally is to buy a special accessory. Today, many companies offer to purchase memory cards, SIM cards, where the NFC is built in.

The prevalence of NFC has not reached impressive results, but this is not for long. Now it is mainly used for monetary transactions, although there are other areas of application. The main advantage of the modification is safety. Its principle of operation excludes accidental transfers of data and money to other devices.

The application has one feature. It lies in the fact that a full-fledged payment option is implemented only on those smartphones in which, in addition to NFC, a Secure Element chip with full access is installed. And only some HTC, Sony and Phillips models have it, and the application is already preinstalled in them, or it will be installed along with the update operating system. For other smartphones, the payment function will only work with constant access to the Internet. But all the advantages of contactless payment technology still remain, except for transport fares.

I took part in testing this technology and the Wallet application. I have a smartphone Samsung Note 3 with built-in NFC, but this model is not yet compatible for full version applications. This means that I will need to install a "cloud" version of the program that works with Internet access. Soon it will appear on Google Play and Apple iTunes, but for now they send me "Wallet" as a file for installation.

After installing the application, a shortcut appears on the smartphone Cardsmobile Cloud Payments. We start, and we see the following sequence of pictures:

In the last screenshot, the application shows a screen where you can see the list of cards registered to your wallet. In this case, there are no cards. Therefore, on this screen you can find help information about the application and how to work with it. To make it possible to pay for purchases with a smartphone, you need to issue a virtual card. To do this, click the "plus sign" in the upper right corner, fill out a small questionnaire (name, date of birth, code word, address Email and number mobile phone). Click next, after which the process of registering a bank card and entering it on the application server starts.

After the application is approved by the bank and the virtual card is issued, its image appears in the main application window. Also, the card issue notification comes with two SMS messages. The first contains all the card data, including the CVC2 code, and the second contains the PIN code. It is better to delete both SMS messages, after remembering the pin code, which is only needed to pay for purchases in excess of 1,500 rubles.

Your wallet account now has a virtual card with a real bank account. And this account is empty. The balance of the card can always be seen if you select the card and click the "Balance" button. To be able to pay for purchases with this card, you need to replenish it. You can also do this directly from the app. To do this, select a virtual card, and click the "Top up" button. Replenishment is possible in several ways. If you already have a MasterCard PayPass or Visa Paywave card, then just enter the transfer amount, hold the card to your smartphone and confirm the transfer. If you have a regular bank card, then you can enter its details manually or scan them through the camera built into your smartphone. Correct recognition of attributes depends on the pattern on the map.

After the money is credited to the card, you can enjoy the benefits of contactless payment with your smartphone. To do this, you need to launch the application, select a card, click the "Activate" button, enter a 4-character payment password, wait for the terminal to be ready to withdraw money and attach your smartphone to the payment terminal. Everything should work out if the terminal supports payment with contactless cards and your smartphone has and NFC is enabled. If the amount of purchases is less than 1500 rubles, then you will not even need to enter a PIN code.

I have tried this payment method. And you know what? It's worth a try if only to watch the reaction of cashiers and people in line. Many do not know about contactless bank cards, but about the possibility of paying with a smartphone via NFC and even more so. This process looks very curious from the outside. Every time I am bombarded with questions like "How does it work?", "How does the money get there?", "And if the smartphone is stolen?". By the way, about the theft of a smartphone. The virtual card is protected by a payment password, without which payment cannot be made. But even if we assume that the smartphone was stolen and they know the payment password, then you can contact the bank to block the card and cancel the operation, if any.

It may seem that this is not the most convenient way to pay. But it has its own advantages. Free card issuance, maintenance without an annual fee, the ability to store all cards in the smartphone's memory. At the moment (March 2015) in the application, you can issue a card of only one bank - Russian Standard, and in the full version also Tinkoff. But the company is negotiating with other banks, and soon this list will be replenished.

FEBRUARY 2018 UPDATE! The review was written almost three years ago. Nowadays, the functionality and appearance of the application could change a little. Install and try.