Near-Field Communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices, usually a mobile device and another device or tag, to establish communication by bringing them into close proximities of each other. NFC is an short-range wireless connectivity technology, which is commonly used to store and exchange small amounts of data between compatible devices.
NFC is based on the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and is commonly used for contactless payment systems, data exchange and in secure identification and access control systems. NFC works with a read range of 4cm and a maximum bandwidth of 424Kbit/s. NFC operates at a frequency of 13.56 MHz over a range of up to 20cm.
NFC is used in various forms of device-to-device and tag-to-device communication, and is widely employed in many modern consumer products and services, such as mobile phones, financial services, transport systems, healthcare, home automation, retail outlets, access control systems, tickets and more.
NFC works by sending small packets of data between two nearby devices. It is most commonly used for transferring small amounts of information, such as payment information, contact details, or even small files. NFC ensures a secure exchange of data by using encryption, which allows devices to securely share data without the risk of eavesdropping.
NFC technology is an important factor in the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). NFC-enabled devices can be used to identify and authenticate products, access shared data and services and easily establish connections between capable devices. As a result, more and more modern consumer applications and services are incorporating NFC into their products.
