• What does nfs support provide? NFC function on the phone - what is it and what is special about it. Features of the transmission of certain types of data

    NFC technology allows high-frequency wireless communication over short distances. A large number of modern devices are equipped with NFC modules - primarily the technology is focused on tablets and smartphones. In this article we will look at what NFC is in a smartphone, how NFC technology works, what advantages it has and what is the range of its applications.

    The abbreviation NFC stands for Near Field Communication. The technology is based on the principle of exchanging radio signals between two devices - this technology is similar to the well-known Bluetooth. However, there is one important difference - unlike Bluetooth, which is focused on transmitting data over a distance of up to hundreds of meters, NFC is designed to exchange data at a distance of about 10 cm and closer.

    The technology was announced in 2004 as an extension to contactless cards. After this, the technology gained quite a lot of popularity and can now be used in many areas.

    How does this work?

    Let's try to figure out how NFC works in a smartphone. Two devices establish communication with each other when they touch - so, to pair two smartphones, you just need to touch them to each other.

    If we delve into the technical details of the technology, we can say the following.

    Communication via NFC is based on magnetic field induction - loop antennas are located within the near field and form a transformer. Frequencies in the range of 13.56 MHz are allocated for NFC operation. The supported data transfer rate can reach 400kb/s.

    NFC operating modes

    NFS in a smartphone can operate in two modes:

    • Active mode - both devices alternately transmit information, and both devices must have a power source.
    • Passive mode - the initiator of a data transmission session, by modulating its field, provides a carrier field and a response from the second device - it uses the field power of the first device to transmit data.

    Passive mode allows you to create devices that do not need their own battery - for example, a small tag the size of a penny coin or even smaller can effectively interact with another device over short distances - just bring them closer and the data transfer process will start on its own.

    Benefits of NFC technology

    The advantages of NFC include intuitiveness (one touch is enough to initiate data transfer), versatility (NFC has the widest range of uses), openness of the technology and its compliance with industry standards, as well as an increased level of security due to low transmitter power and low range.

    Using NFC, you can configure other wireless technologies - for example, to pair two devices via NFC, about 100ms is enough, while connecting them to each other via Wifi or Bluetooth takes significantly longer, but it can be done via NFC.

    NFC facilitates the exchange of information - you can transfer a file from one smartphone to another by simply touching it with your smartphone. The matter is not limited to this - you can transfer a payment to your interlocutor, add him to your “friends”, or start a session of a joint multiplayer game.

    Prospects for NFC

    NFC as a communication technology has a wide range of applications that can constantly expand. Thus, using NFC, it is possible to implement such contactless technologies as access control to premises, payments using a mobile phone - including in public transport and shops, various solutions in the field of consumer electronics, healthcare, information exchange programs, and so on.

    Excellent opportunities are opening up in the field of e-commerce - a device with NFC can act as a wallet, travel ticket, boarding pass, discount coupon, and so on. NFC tags in stores allow you to instantly obtain additional information about a product and other stores with such a product. An NFC tag can be installed in a museum, gallery or exhibition hall - when the tag is read, you will receive information about the object.

    Using NFC stickers

    At the time of writing, only Android and Windows Phone devices support this technology, so Apple owners may want to consider buying another device. Windows Phone owners can read the article to understand how to configure NFC stickers, and Android owners can follow the instructions, as they are written specifically for this operating system.

    What does NFC technology offer us when using special stickers? First, look at these same stickers, which are a thin layer of objects.

    They may look different, but the main thing about them is that they have a special NFC chip inside. Perhaps you have such a mark in your pocket if you have a metro ticket lying around there (by the way, this is exactly the ticket I used to work with this technology). So, it’s worth placing your smartphone on such an NFC tag and the phone will perform pre-agreed actions that the user can fine-tune. Your options are limited only by your desires: you can switch your phone to silent mode in the meeting room; you can open the navigation map, turn on GPS and mobile data as soon as you find yourself in the car; in the same car you can turn on Bluetooth to receive calls without being distracted by the phone; you can come to work and connect to your work Wi-Fi network and start scrolling through the meeting calendar; At home, disconnect from all networks and turn on music; In one word, you can configure absolutely anything. And for this you only need at least one sticker (you can buy them, they are not expensive) and a free application on Google Play, thanks to which the possibilities are increased and the necessary actions can be performed not only when you bring the phone to the sticker, but also if the battery level reaches a certain point ; or you connect a headset; either a certain point in time will come or even if you find yourself in a certain area. Believe me, there is a place where your imagination can unfold. In the meantime, we'll start setting up NFC.

    How to use NFC or setting up an NFC tag

    So, we need an Android phone with NFC support. In addition, we need an NFC tag (you can use a metro ticket). Now you need to download the Trigger application from Google Play, install and launch it. The application is free, but the professional version with maximum functionality costs some money (not much either). You can start the trial version first. After all the greetings in the My tasks menu, click on the plus sign and let the creation of the first task begin, which will be performed when you bring the phone to the tag. First of all, we will be asked to add triggers:

    • WiFi. If you select this, further actions will be performed when you connect or disconnect from a specific network.
    • Bluetooth. The situation is similar to that with Wi-Fi.
    • NFC. Actually, NFC tags. The task is activated when you approach the NFC tag (which is what we will mainly talk about)
    • Battery. Activation at a certain battery level. Convenient for putting your phone into power saving mode when the battery is low.
    • Time. Activation at a specific time.
    • Charger. Activation when connected or disconnected from the power supply.
    • Headset. Activation when connecting a headset (you can immediately turn on the song by just plugging the headphones into your smartphone).
    • Calendar event. A completely understandable name.
    • Agent. I think you can figure it out on your own; I didn’t succeed.
    • Geo-fence. Activation when crossing some terrain.

    Having selected the required trigger (and for the purposes of this article, I recommend choosing NFC), you must click Next. In the next window, you can configure restrictions on the action of this task. So the task can only be completed at a certain time, on certain days, at a certain battery level and at different states of Wi-Fi technology, Bluetooth and airplane mode. For my purposes, there were no restrictions, so I simply continued the setup, skipping this item. Next you should get to the Task menu (if not, click Next here). plus sign, you are free to add the necessary tasks that must be completed under the conditions you choose (in our case, when you touch the NFC tag, there are quite a lot of actions, so I will list only groups of actions:).

    • Wireless and LAN
    • Bluetooth
    • Sounds and volume
    • Screen
    • Social media
    • Messages
    • Applications and shortcuts
    • Media
    • Agent
    • Trips
    • Signals
    • Events
    • Telephone
    • Samsung
    • Scheduler
    • Experimental

    Select the groups you are interested in, expand it and select the required action. For example, to turn on music, you need to select Media, and then check the box next to Play multimedia. In the same way, configure all the tasks you need, then click Next. Some tasks will require additional configuration, for example Wi-Fi must be turned on or off. After this additional setting, click Add to task. You can give your task a unique name or leave the default name, click Next.

    The second to last menu will be the Switches menu. This is a rather interesting point that requires an example to understand. Let's say we have created an NFC tag, when we touch it the phone starts playing music. Following the logic, another NFC sticker is needed to create a new task to turn off the music. But you can use the Switches function so that the same sticker performs two reverse tasks. To do this, in this menu you need to click the same plus sign and add a new task in the manner described above, select the opposite actions there. Upon completion of this work, click Finish. After this, you need to place your smartphone on the sticker, with which the phone synchronizes in less than a second. If the reaction is positive, all you have to do is click the Finish button.

    Possible problems when using Trigger

    For this application, in the same Google Play there are several different plugins that are necessary for various actions. Thus, the Trigger Reuse plugin allows you to reuse NFC stickers, such as metro tickets. You can find all the necessary plugins by searching Trigger Plugin on Google Play. Some of these plugins require additional configuration, some do not. I think you'll figure it out.

    Using NFC technology to pay for metro travel

    To use your phone to pay for metro travel, you need to contact your mobile operator and find out if it supports this technology (MTS, VimpelCom, Rostelecom definitely support this technology). If the answer is positive, you need to replace your SIM card with a special SIM card with NFC support and activate a special service (technical support or sales center employees will help you). After this (in theory), you just need to top up your phone account on time so that one day the turnstile doesn’t start screaming at you.

    NFC has become quite common thanks to the rise of online payment systems such as Samsung Pay and Android Pay. Especially if this applies even to middle-class phones. You've probably heard this term before, but what is NFC in a smartphone? In this article, I will briefly outline what it is, how it works, and what it can be used for.

    NFC stands for “Near Field Communication”, which translates as “near contactless communication”. As the name suggests, it provides short communication between devices. This requires at least one transmitting device and one to receive the signal. Devices using the NFC standard are divided into passive and active.

    Passive NFC devices are small transmitters that can send messages to other NFC devices without the need for a power source. However, they cannot process any information sent from other sources and cannot connect to other passive components. These are usually interactive signs on walls or advertisements.

    Active NFC devices can send and receive data and can communicate with each other as well as with the passive device. Smartphones are the most common form of active NFC device today. An example of technology is card readers for public transport and payment terminals.

    Now that we know what it is, let's find out how NFC works on a phone.
    Very simple, just like Bluetooth and WiFi and other wireless signals. NFC works on the principle of sending information over radio waves. Near Field Communication- another standard for wireless data transmission. This means that devices must adhere to certain specifications in order to communicate with each other correctly. The technology used in NFC is based on the idea of ​​RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), which uses electromagnetic induction to transmit information.

    Of course there is one significant difference between NFC and Bluetooth/WiFi. The former can be used to induce electrical currents within passive components, as well as for data transmission. Instead, they can be powered by the electromagnetic field generated by the NFC active component when it comes into range. Unfortunately, NFC technology lacks sufficient inductance to charge a smartphone, but QI charging has the same principle.

    On the other hand, read or write mode is a one-way data transfer. An active device, such as your smartphone, connects to another device to read information from it.

    The last mode of operation is card emulation. NFC devices here are smart or contactless credit cards; you can use them to pay for travel on public transport or pay for purchases in stores.

    Compare with Bluetooth

    Although I answered the question “What is NFC?” Let's compare it with other wireless technologies? Some may think that NFC is not needed since there is Bluetooth. However, there are several important technological differences between the two, and NFC has significant advantages. The main argument in favor of NFC is that it consumes much less power than Bluetooth. This makes NFC ideal for passive devices, such as the advertising tags I wrote about above, since they can operate without a main power source.

    However, low power consumption has one serious drawback. In particular, the transmission range is much shorter than Bluetooth. NFC has a range of about 10 cm, and Bluetooth can transmit data up to 10 meters or more. Another disadvantage is that NFC is slower than Bluetooth. It transfers data at a maximum speed of 424 kbps, compared to 2.1 Mbps for Bluetooth 2.1 or about 1 Mbps for Bluetooth Low Energy.

    But NFC has the most important advantage: faster connections. Thanks to inductive coupling and the absence of manual pairing, less than one tenth of a second passes before the exchange of information begins. Although modern Bluetooth also connects quite quickly, NFC is still very convenient in certain situations, such as mobile payments.

    Samsung Pay, Android Pay, and even Apple Pay use NFC technology, although Samsung Pay works a little differently than the others. Bluetooth is very convenient for transferring files, connecting headphones and other gadgets. My guess is that NFC will always be relevant thanks to mobile payments.

    Conclusion

    Now, I have answered the question “What is NFC?”, but if you do not understand something or have other questions about this wireless technology. Ask them in the comments below.

    Read about how to enable NFC.

    The history of advanced NFC (Near Field Communication) technology dates back to 1983, when electrical engineer Charles Welton patented a “radio frequency identification emitter” that is functionally similar to an NFC chip. A phone using NFC technology appeared already in 2006. However, the boom in its popularity has occurred only in the last few years.

    What is NFC on a phone?

    The technology is used in most new generation phones and is a kind of addition to, and perhaps a replacement for, Bluetooth, which at one time also replaced the outdated IR port technology.

    A feature of NFC is its short range (only 10 centimeters) and low throughput (up to 424 kbit/s). However, it does not pretend to provide high-speed transmission of large amounts of information. Instead, it is able to connect two devices in just a few seconds (Bluetooth sometimes takes several minutes to establish a connection).

    And due to the fact that all manipulations are carried out in close contact, there is no possibility of interception of personal data by attackers, which ensures security of the technology and allows it to be used in various everyday processes - for example, as an electronic pass, for paying for goods, or for reading NFC tags.


    Is there a difference between NFC and Bluetooth?

    Since Bluetooth and NFC technologies are in the same technological progression, it is impossible to do without comparing these two short-range wireless communication standards.

    Today, although Bluetooth is objectively outdated and is not always implemented in modern smartphone models, it is still relevant, since most people still use old phones, and besides, manufacturers are still in no hurry to abandon this standard completely.

    The most obvious difference between the two is the much slower transfer speed of NFC. But at the same time, it does not expend much energy and has an instant pairing speed.

    At the same time, unlike Bluetooth, in NFC you do not need to search for devices and enter keys - the connection will occur automatically, after physical contact of two devices with this technology.

    • NFC data transfer speed is 424kbps.
    • The throughput of Bluetooth V2.1 is much higher: 2.1 Mbit/s.
    • And the latest and most advanced versions of Bluetooth (3.1+HS) can transmit information at a speed of 40 Mbit/s.

    With all this, NFC and Bluetooth work perfectly in one smartphone, only complementing each other’s shortcomings. For example, in Windows 8, when transmitting information via the NFC protocol, it will be downloaded to the phone via Bluetooth. NFC in this case is used only for fast communication.

    How to check if your phone has NFC?

    The NFC chip is usually embedded under the bottom rear panel of the smartphone. If necessary, it can be detected. However, not all devices are collapsible, not to mention the fact that not everyone is able to disassemble a phone without breaking it.

    Therefore, the most reliable way to check the presence of the NFC protocol on your phone is to go to the network settings, go to the “Sharing & Connection” subsection and check if there are items such as “NFC”, Android Beam and contactless payment in the menu. If there is, then this is confirmation that the gadget supports this module.


    Use Cases

    NFC is highly valuable for the speed and privacy of the connection, so this protocol is used: for contactless payment, for reading NFC tags, and of course, for direct transmission or reception of data.

    A system of electronic passes is also being actively implemented: hardly anyone doubts that in the near future smartphones will be used as electronic keys for all doors. The electronic key system has been used in enterprises, business centers and military installations around the world for quite a long time, but few people use phones for this today.

    Another great use is pairing your phone with a variety of accessories (headset, headphones, speakers). Many of them use the Bluetooth standard. However, the most modern and relevant gadgets use NFC.

    The technology is used in two modes:

    1. Active: in this case we are talking about the mutual exchange of information between two active devices.
    2. Passive: when only one device is working. These are devices that perform special functions (electronic passes, metro cards, etc.).

    PayPass contactless payments

    NFC has made a huge leap forward in contactless payment technology. With the mass implementation of the module, millions of people around the world were able to pay for their purchases without having either cash or a debit card in their hands. The smartphone has become a replacement for payment cards and travel passes in municipal transport.


    Of course, you pay with your own money from a bank card, only the secret data is not stored in the internal memory of the phone, but is recorded on a chip with encrypted algorithms. This chip controls access to payment instruments, money transfers and other transactional operations.

    You can make contactless payments from any device that has access to the Near field communication protocol.

    Instructions for using the contactless payment function in the Android system:

    Step.1 Install the free Android Pay application from the Play Market catalog. This is just a program for cashless payments for Android devices.

    Step 2. Open the application. In it, click the plus icon to add your card.

    Step 3. Click "Add Card" to enter new payment information. If you already have a card entered, you can simply use it.

    Step 4. Terms of use of the application according to the standard are accepted.

    Step 5. Finally, you need to confirm the authentication of the just entered card through a special code sent to your number in the form of SMS.

    Step 6. In order for the application to independently copy the code from the sent SMS message, you need to enable the corresponding function upon request.

    When the last stage of authentication and linking of a bank card is completed, your smartphone simultaneously becomes a wallet. The only caveat is that not all establishments yet support Apple and Android Pay services. In the corresponding establishments there is always an icon notifying about the possibility of this payment method.

    When purchasing goods in retail grocery stores and supermarkets, the device is simply brought to the cash register. Within 1-2 seconds, a transaction is carried out through the card associated with the application.

    Information exchange

    Peer-to-peer mode allows two NFC-enabled devices to communicate with each other and exchange files and data. This way you can transfer contacts, settings, texts and other data from one mobile device to another, or from a mobile device to another device altogether (to a router, for example).


    Reading marks

    We should not forget about another important function of modern gadgets equipped with NFC modules: we are talking about reading special electronic NFC tags.

    In many countries, these small plastic icons are already actively used in marketing, as they store short information about a product, or some other object, which can then be read by anyone using a smartphone.


    NFC tags are also located on advertising posters, in museums, and in stores. The tag contains a small piece of information that strives to be as informative as possible: it could be a link to a movie trailer, an indication of the date of a declared historical event (in a museum), or the expiration date of a product (in a retail chain).

    Tags can also be created independently and used based on your own imagination. For example, you could hang a sign outside your home that gives a short resume of its owner, or put a sign with your resume on your business card.

    However, the tag system also has its downsides: attackers may try to redirect you to phishing sites through malicious links located on such tags.

    It is also possible for illegal activities, such as the trade in illegal drugs, to be facilitated by such tags. Android algorithms are not yet protected from anything like this.

    How to exchange data via NFC on a smartphone?

    Android OS 4.0 included the Android Beam feature, which was known as S Beam on Samsung devices. This function allowed direct exchange of files and data in peer-to-peer mode, which required only two smartphones with access to this mode.

    The objects of exchange are any small information: contact information, links, photographs, drawings, notes, etc. Files are directly exchanged using Bluetooth technology or via Wi-Fi-Direct. NFC is mainly used to instantly detect and connect two devices.


    So, file transfer is carried out either through the Android Beam utility or through external applications. It is better to consider both options in sequence.

    Android Beam:

    1. As shown earlier, open the network settings menu and check whether NFC and Android Beam are connected. If not, then connect.
    2. Select the files you want to transfer and place the two devices with their backs facing each other.
    3. After changes occur on the phone screen, a small download will begin. After this, a beep will sound and the system will warn you that the file will be transferred if you click on it. Touch the image with your finger and hold it on the screen until the second beep sounds. This will mean that the data has begun to be transported.
    4. Wait until the information is fully transmitted. The download progress can be seen in notifications, where the corresponding scale is displayed.

    Here is a far from complete list of applications that are supported for data transfer: gallery, file manager; browser; Play Market; YouTube; Contacts; Cards. Of course, there should not be any password on the devices, otherwise there will be no transfer.

    Pros and cons of the module

    The contactless communication and payment system has enormous potential due to its complete autonomy. The popularity of the module among people is mainly due to saving time and the desire to minimize annoying everyday trifles, such as searching for cash in a wallet or entering a PIN code.

    The cashless contactless payment system completely eliminates all these disadvantages of the traditional shopping process.

    Pros

    • The main advantage of NFC is the highest connection speed (1-2 seconds) compared to Bluetooth (up to two minutes). And if the device is connected to a Wi-Fi network, then the connection will be instantaneous.
    • Constant development of technology and expansion of coverage. Manufacturers are not content with just the mobile phone market. Today NFS chips can be seen in tablet computers, laptops, accessories and other gadgets.
    • Maximum coverage is up to 20 centimeters. This may be regarded as a disadvantage, but experts consider this aspect as one of the main “features” of the technology, because at such a distance it is almost impossible to steal or intercept information. At the same time, there is additional protection in the form of secure encryption algorithms.
    • Compatible with a huge number of existing devices. Regardless of whether they are new models or old ones.
    • Convenient fastening of adapters.

    - cons

    • Quickly consumes battery power. Despite being much more cost-effective than Bluetooth, it is still a power-hungry module that often results in your phone being completely drained at the most inopportune times.
    • The need to use additional applications. Despite the fact that the protocol is built-in and comes to you along with the phone’s factory firmware, tasks for the chip are assigned using third-party programs that are downloaded through the play market, or even from third-party sites.
    • The chip cannot be restored if the phone is lost. If the phone was stolen or simply broken, then personal data will not be recorded or stored anywhere; the chip exists in a single copy.

    Conclusion

    The IT industry is developing at an incredible pace and no one can say what discoveries await us even in a year, but for now we can say with confidence that NFC is the safest and fastest mobile data transfer protocol that can be trusted to manage financial structures without any problems.

    The main obstacle due to which this technology has not yet made a global revolution in the field of data transmission is the lack of full-scale equipment of all modern phone models with chips. Unfortunately, there is only the possibility of individual purchase of a chip, but not their mass implementation.

    Most modern phones, smartphones and tablets are equipped with a short-range communication chip. It can be used to make contactless payments and exchange various files with other similar devices. To use useful functionality you need to know how to enable NFC on Android.

    Description of technology

    NFC is a microchip that allows data exchange between two devices. Information is transmitted only over a short distance using radio frequencies. The chip is mounted directly into the body of a smartphone or tablet. The work is provided by a special Android Bim application.

    Before you figure out how to enable the NFC function on Android, you need to determine the presence of the technology on the device. You can determine the presence of a chip in the following ways:

    How to enable

    Enabling NFC mode on your phone is very simple. To do this, you need to perform the following steps sequentially:

    Do I need to enable NFC on my smartphone when paying?

    When making contactless payments through a terminal using a smartphone, you do not need to go into the application and turn on the mode. The chip will automatically start working when you wake up from sleep mode and remove the lock.

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