NFC or Near Field Communication is a short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology. It allows users to exchange data between NFC enabled devices over about a 10 cm distance. NFC is now widely used in modern day devices to allow users complete various tasks like, sharing content, paying bills, and even carry a digit traveling ticket in the NFC enabled transportation services. It’s shorter coverage increases the security as any other nearby devices will not hurt the connection like we’ve seen in Bluetooth technology. In addition, the NFC can function even without the pairing device turned on.
NFC devices are equipped with tags, and small transmitters, that can send information to other NFC devices without the essential need for a power source. So unlike any other technologies such as Wifi or Bluetooth, NFC has a great relevance if the coverage is not your primary concern. They can send or receive data as that of the Wifi or Bluetooth devices. So far, many smart credit cards and transportation cards implemented the support for NFC devices to make the tasks simpler as never before.
Like the Wifi or Bluetooth, NFC also works by sending and receiving radio signals between compatible devices. It actually is an upgrade of the old RFID (Radio-frequency identification) technology and uses the same principals for the operation. There are three different modes in NFC namely,
- Peer-to-peer mode: It allows two NFC-enabled devices to exchange small portions of information between each other.
- Read/write mode: The active devices links up with another device and read information from it.
- Card emulation: The NFC device can be used like a smart or contactless credit card to make payments or for public transportation services.
What makes the NFC different from the normal Bluetooth and Wifi communication that can provide wider coverage, is the low power consumption and better security features. The NFC doesn’t require any major power source at all in order to work properly.