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Introduction of NFC Forum

What Is The NFC Forum?
Type 1 NFC Tags
Type 2 NFC Tags
Type 3 NFC Tags
Type 4 NFC Tags
What are NFC Devices and NFC Tags?
How Does NFC Work?
What Is NFC Used For?

What Is The NFC Forum?

The Near Field Communication Forum was formed to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology.

The NFC Forum has mandated four tag types to be operable with NFC devices. This is the backbone of interoperability between different NFC tag providers and NFC device manufacturers to ensure a consistent user experience.

This means that if an NFC tag is NFC Forum Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 or Type 4, it complies to the NFC Forum specifications. NFC Forum compliant NFC tags typically have less compatibility issues than non-NFC Forum certified NFC tags such as the Mifare Classic.

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Type 1 NFC Tags

Type 1 NFC Tag Operation Specifications

• ISO/IEC 14443A.
• Read and re-write capable; users can configure the tag to become read-only.
• Memory availability is 96 bytes and expandable to 2 kbyte
• Type 1 NFC tags are commonly used as an NFC Forum compliant high data capacity alternative to non-compliant chip types such as the Mifare Classic 1K.

Type 1 NFC Tags

• Broadcom Innovision Topaz 512

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Type 2 NFC Tags

Type 2 NFC Tag Operation Specifications

• ISO/IEC 14443A.
• Can be either One-time programmable or read and re-write capable where the user can configure the tag to become read-only.
• Memory availability is 48 bytes and expandable to 2 kbyte
• The most commonly used NFC Tag type

Type 2 NFC Tags

• NXP Mifare Ultralight
• NXP Mifare Ultralight C
• NXP NTAG203
• NXP NTAG210
• NXP NTAG212
• NXP NTAG213
• NXP NTAG215
• NXP NTAG216
• Kovio 2Kb

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Type 3 NFC Tags

Type 3 NFC Tag Operation Specifications

• Type 3 NFC Tag is based on the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) X 6319-4, also known as FeliCa.
• These NFC tags are pre-configured at manufacture to be either read and re-writable, or read-only.
• Memory availability is variable, theoretical memory limit is 1MByte per service.
• Type 3 NFC tags are not commonly used and usually only available by special order at high minimum order quantities.

Type 3 NFC Tags

• Felica Lite RC-S965

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Type 4 NFC Tags

Type 4 NFC Tag Operation Specifications

• ISO/IEC 14443 standard series
• Tags are pre-configured at manufacture to be either read and re-writable, or read-only.
• The memory availability is variable, up to 32 KBytes per service; the communication interface is either Type A or Type B compliant.
• The DESFire family of NFC tags are high-capacity NFC tags that can store a lot of data.
• This is not a commonly used NFC tag type.

Type 4 NFC Tags

• NXP DESFire EV1 (2K)
• NXP DESFire EV1 (4K)
• NXP DESFire EV1 (8K)
• NXP DESFire EV2 (2K) [new version released in 2014]
• NXP DESFire EV2 (4K) [new version released in 2014]
• NXP DESFire EV2 (8K) [new version released in 2014]

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What are NFC Devices and NFC Tags?

The term NFC device is commonly used for an active NFC tag. Examples of active NFC devices are NFC-enabled phones, NFC-enabled tablets and PC-linked NFC readers. These devices are powered either by an internal battery or are connected to a PC via a USB or Serial port. They all have an NFC reader inside of them.

The term NFC tag is commonly used for a passive NFC tag. Examples of passive NFC tags are NFC inlays, NFC stickers, NFC wristbands and other converted NFC products. NFC tags are very similar to a USB stick, except that they don't have to be plugged into a PC to transfer data. There is no battery inside of NFC tags. They all have an integrated circuit (IC) and antennae inside of them. Data is transferred via this antenna.

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How Does NFC Work?

Data is transmitted between two NFC devices and/or tags when they come in close proximity to one another. There are three different types of NFC interactions:

1. Passive to Active - A passive NFC tag such as an NFC sticker is touched to an active NFC device such as an NFC-enabled phone.
2. Active to Passive - An active NFC device such as an NFC-enabled phone is touched to a passive NFC tag such as an NFC sticker.
3. Active to Active - An active NFC device such as an NFC-enabled phone is touched to another active NFC device.

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What Is NFC Used For?

NFC can be thought of like putting a hyperlink on objects in the real word. NFC can be used for a wide variety of things, see some common examples below:

Marketing & Advertising - Consumers can get more information or coupons by touching an NFC tag. In turn, the company managing the tags can get analytics on their consumers.
Access Control - NFC tags can be used for users to gain entry into controlled environments. In addition, analytics can be gathered about where the user goes within that controlled space.
Mobile Payments - Users can pay for items and receive coupons using their mobile phone.
Mobile Phone Task Launcher - NFC tags can be used to launch actions within a mobile device such as calling a phone number or setting an alarm.

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