Report on NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a technology for contactless short-range communication.
Based on the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), it uses magnetic field induction to
enable communication between electronic devices. The number of short-range applications for
NFC technology is growing continuously, appearing in all areas of life. Especially the use in
conjunction with mobile phones offers great opportunities.
One of the main goals of NFC technology has been to make the benefits of short-range
contactless communications available to consumers globally. The existing radio frequency
(RF) technology base has so far been driven by various business needs, such as logistics and
item tracking. While the technology behind NFC is found in existing applications, there has
been a shift in focus most notably, in how the technology is used and what it offers to
consumers.
With just a point or a touch, NFC enables effortless use of the devices and gadgets we use
daily. Here are some examples of what a user can do with an NFC mobile phone in an
NFC-enabled environment:
1) Download music or video from a smart poster.
2) Exchange business cards with another phone.
3) Pay bus or train fare.

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4) Print an image on a printer.
5) Use a point-of-sale terminal to pay for a purchase, the same way as with a standard
contactless credit card.
6) Pair two Bluetooth devices.
An NFC-enabled phone functions much like standard contactless smart cards that are used
worldwide in credit cards and in tickets for public transit systems. Once an application,
such as a credit card application, has been securely provisioned to the NFC-enabled phone,
the customer can pay by simply waving the phone at a point-of - sale reader. The NFC
phone also offers enhanced security, enabling the user to protect the secure applications
through the phone's user interface features.
Fig 1.1 NFC is as easy as touch

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1.1 HISTORY
NFC traces its roots back to Radio frequency identification, or RFID. RFID allows a reader
to send radio waves to a passive electronic tag for identification and tracking.
 1983-The first patent to be associated with the abbreviation RFID was granted to Charles
Walton 

 2004-Nokia, Philips and Sony established the Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum.


 2006-Initial specifications for NFC Tags 

 2006-Specification for "Smart Poster" records 

 2006-Nokia 6131 was the first NFC phone
 2009-In January, NFC Forum released Peer-to-Peer standards to transfer contact, URL,
initiate Bluetooth, etc. 

 2010-Samsung Nexus S: First Android NFC phone shown 

 2011-Google I/O "How to NFC" demonstrates NFC to initiate a game and to share a
contact, URL, app, video, etc. 

 2011-NFC support becomes part of the Symbian mobile operating system with the
release of Symbian Anna version. 



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2011-RIM 2011 is the first company for its devices is certified by MasterCard Worldwide, the
functionality of Pay Pass.
1.2 UNIQUE FEATURES
What makes the communication between the devices so easy is that the NFC protocol
provides some features not found in other general- purpose protocols.
First of all, it is a very short-range protocol. It supports communication at distances
measured in centimeters. The devices have to be literally almost touched to establish the
link between them.
This has two important consequences:
1) The devices can rely on the protocol to be inherently secured since the devices must be
placed very close to each other. It is easy to control whether the two devices communicate
by simply placing them next to each other or keeping them apart.
2) The procedure of establishing the protocol is inherently familiar to people: you want
something to communicate touch it. This allows for the establishment of the network
connection between the devices be completely automated and happen in a transparent
manner. The whole process feels then like if devices recognize each other by touch and
connect to each other once touched.
Another important feature of this protocol is the support for the passive mode of
communication. This is very important for the battery-powered devices since they have to
place conservation of the energy as the first priority. The protocol allows such a device, like a
mobile phone, to operate in a power-saving mode the passive mode of NFC communication.

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This mode does not require both devices to generate the RF field and allows the complete
communication to be powered from one side only. The protocol can be used easily in
conjunction with other protocols to select devices and automate connection set-up. As was
demonstrated in the examples of use above, the parameters of other wireless protocols can be
exchanged allowing for automated set-up of other, longer-range, connections. The difficulty in
using long-range protocols like Bluetooth or Wireless Ethernet is in selecting the correct
device out of the multitude of devices in the range and providing the right parameters to the
connection.
1.3 WIRELESS SHORT RANGE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
1) NFC is designed for short distance wireless communication
2) Allows intuitive initialization of wireless networks
3) NFC is complementary to Bluetooth and 802.11 with their long distance capabilities
4) NFC also works in dirty environment
5) NFC does not require line of sight
6) Easy and simple connection method
7) Provides communication method to non-self powered devices

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Fig: 1.2 NFC is complementary to Bluetooth

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CHAPTER 2
NFC DEVICES
2.1 ESSENTIAL SPECIFICATION
NFC is a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or
less. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface and at rates ranging from
106 Kbit/s to 424 Kbit/s. NFC always involves an initiator and a target; the initiator actively
generates an RF field that can power a passive target. This enables NFC targets to take very
simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries. NFC
peer-to-peer communication is possible, provided both devices are powered.
NFC tags contain data and are typically read-only but may be rewriteable. They can be
custom-encoded by their manufacturers or use the specifications provided by the NFC Forum,
an industry association charged with promoting the technology and setting key standards. The
tags can securely store personal data such as debit and credit card information, loyalty
program data, PINs and networking contacts, among other information. The NFC Forum
defines four types of tags which provide different communication speeds and capabilities in
terms of configurability, memory, security, data retention and write endurance. Tags currently
offer between 96 and 4,096 bytes of memory.
1. Like ISO 14443, NFC communicates via magnetic field induction, where two loop antennas
are located within each other's near field, effectively forming an air-core transformer. It
operates within the globally available and unlicensed radio frequency ISM band of 13.56
MHz, with a bandwidth of almost 2 MHz.

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2. Working distance with compact standard antennas: up to 20 cm
3. Supported data rates: 106, 212, or 424 Kbit/s
2.2 THERE ARE TWO MODES
Passive Communication Mode: The Initiator device provides a carrier field and the
target device answers by modulating existing field. In this mode, the Target device may draw
its operating power from the Initiator-provided electromagnetic field, thus making the Target
device a transponder.
Active Communication Mode: Both Initiator and Target device communicate by
alternately generating their own field. A device deactivates its RF field while it is waiting for
data. In this mode, both devices typically need to have a power supply.
Baud Active device passive device
424 kBd Manchester, 10% ASK Manchester, 10% ASK
212 kBd Manchester, 10% ASK Manchester, 10% ASK
106 kBd Modified Miller, 100% ASK Manchester, 10% ASK
Table 2.1 Communication mode and data rates

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NFC employs two different codings to transfer data. If an active device transfers data at 106
Kbit/s, a modified Miller coding with 100%modulation is used. In all other cases Manchester
coding is used with a modulation ratio of 10%.
NFC devices are able to receive and transmit data at the same time. Thus, they can check the
radio frequency field and detect a collision if the received signal does not match with the
transmitted signal.

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CHAPTER 3
TECHNOLOGICAL OVERVIEW
NFC operates in the standard, globally available 13.56MHz frequency band. Possible
supported data transfer rates are 106, 212 and 424 kbps and there is potential for higher data
rates. The technology has been designed for communications up to a distance of 20 cm, but
typically it is used within less than 10 cm. This short range is not a disadvantage, since it
aggravates eavesdropping.
3.1 COMMUNICATION MODES: ACTIVE AND PASSIVE
The NFC interface can operate in two different modes: active and passive. An active device
generates its own radio frequency (RF) field, whereas a device in passive mode has to use
inductive coupling to transmit data. For battery-powered devices, like mobile phones, it is
better to act in passive mode. In contrast to the active mode, no internal power source is
required. In passive mode, a device can be powered by the RF field of an active NFC device
and transfers data using load modulation. Hence, the protocol allows for card emulation, e.g.,
used for ticketing applications, even when the mobile phone is turned off. The communication
between two active devices case is called active communication mode, whereas the
communication between an active and a passive device is called passive communication
mode.
Active: Two active devices communicate with each other. Each device generates its own RF
field to send data.
Passive: Communication takes place between an active and a passive device. The Passive

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device has no battery and uses the RF field generated by the active device.
In general, at most two devices communicate with each other at the same time. However in
passive mode the initiator is able to communicate with multiple targets. This is realized by a
time slot method, which is used to perform a Single Device Detection (SDD). The maximal
number of time slots is limited to 16. A target responds in a random chosen time slot that may
lead to collision with the response of another target. In order to reduce the collisions, a target
may ignore a polling request set out by the initiator. If the initiator receives no response, it has
to send the polling request again.
3.2 CODING AND MODULATION
The distinction between active and passive devices specifies the way data is transmitted.
Passive devices encode data always with Manchester coding and a 10%ASK1. Instead, for
active devices one distinguishes between the modified Miller coding with 100% modulation if
the data rate is 106 kbps, and the Manchester coding using a modulation ratio of 10% if the
data rate is greater than 106 kbps. The modulation ratio using modified Miller coding is of
high importance for the security of the NFC data transfer.
3.2.1 MANCHESTER CODE
The Manchester coding depends on two possible transitions at the midpoint of a period. A
low-to-high transition expresses a 0 bit, whereas a high-to-low transition stands for a 1 bit.
Consequently, in the middle of each bit period there is always a transition..
Fig 3.1 Manchester Coding

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3.2.2 MODIFIED MILLER CODE
This line code is characterized by pauses occurring in the carrier at different positions of a
period. Depending on the information to be transmitted, bits are coded. While a 1 is always
encoded in the same way, coding a 0 is determined on the basis of the preceded bit.
Fig 3.2 Modified Miller Code
3.3 INITIATOR AND TARGET
Furthermore, it is important to observe the role allocation of initiator and target. The initiator
is the one who wishes to communicate and starts the communication. The target receives the
initiator’s communication request and sends back a reply. This concept prevents the target
from sending any data without first receiving a message. Regarding the passive
communication mode, the passive device acts always as NFC target. Here the active device is
the initiator, responsible for generating the radio field. In the case of an active configuration in
which the RF field is alternately generated, the roles of initiator and target are strictly assigned
by the one who starts the communication. By default all devices are NFC targets, and only act
as NFC initiator device if it is required by the application.In the case of two passive devices
communication is not possible.

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Table 3.1 Possible Combinations Active / Passive with Initiator/ Target:
3.4 COLLISION AVOIDANCE
Usually misunderstandings are rather rare, since the devices have to be placed in direct
proximity. The protocol proceeds from the principle: listen before talk. If the initiator wants to
communicate, first, it has to make sure that there is no external RF field, in order not to disturb
any other NFC communication. It has to wait silently as long as another RF field is detected,
before it can start the communication, after an accurately defined guard-time. If the case
occurs that two or more targets answer at exactly the same time, a collision will be detected by
the initiator.

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CHAPTER 4
OPERATING MODES OF NFC
NFC is a proximity coupling technology closely linked to the standard of proximity smart
cards as specified in ISO 14443. NFC Devices are capable of three different operating modes
4.1 PEER-TO-PEER MODE (NFC): This mode is the classic NFC mode, allowing
data connection for up to 424 Kbit/sec. The electromagnetic properties and the protocol
(NFCIP-1) are standardized in ISO 18092 and ECMA 320/340.
4.2 READER/WRITER MODE (PCD): NFC devices can be used as a reader/writer
for tags and smart cards. In this case the NFC device acts as an initiator and the passive tag is
the target. In reader/writer mode data rates of 106 Kbit/sec are possible.
4.3 TAG EMULATION MODE (PICC): In this mode the NFC device emulates an
ISO 14443 smart card or a smart card chip integrated in the mobile devices is connected to the
antenna of the NFC module. Legacy readers can distinguish a mobile phone operating in tag
emulation mode from an ordinary smart card. This is an advantage of NFC technology as
already existing reader infrastructures do not need to be replaced. The smart card chip used for
tag emulation is also referred to as secure element.

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CHAPTER 5
COMPARISON WITH OTHER TECHNOLOGY
5.1 COMPARISON WITH RFID
The heritage of earlier standards gives NFC compatibility benefits with existing RFID
applications, such as access control or public transport ticketing, it is often possible to operate
with old infrastructure, even if the RFID card is replaced with an NFC-enabled mobile phone,
for example. This is possible because of NFC’s capability to emulate RFID tags (card
interface mode). NFC hardware can include a secure element for improved security in critical
applications such as payments. For example, a credit card could be integrated into a mobile
phone and used over NFC. NFCIP-1 is an NFC-specific communication mode, defined in the
ECMA-340 standard. This mode is intended for peer-to-peer data communication between
devices. In this mode, NFC is comparable to other short-range communication technologies
such as IrDA, although the physical data transfer mechanism is different. Basically, the
technologies Radio Frequency Identification and Near Field Communication use the same
working standards. However, the essential extension of RFID is the communication mode
between two active devices. In addition to contactless smart cards (ISO 14443), which only
support communication between powered devices and passive tags, NFC also provides peer-
to- peer communication .Thus, NFC combines the feature to read out and emulate RFID tags,
and furthermore, to share data between electronic devices that both have active power.
NFCIP-1 is an NFC-specific communication mode, defined in the ECMA-340 standard. This
mode is intended for peer-to-peer data communication between devices. In this mode, NFC is
comparable to other short-range communication technologies such as IrDA, although the

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physical data transfer mechanism is different. The NFCIP-1 mode is divided into two variants:
active mode and passive mode. In active mode, both participants generate their own carrier
while transmitting data. In passive mode, only the initiator generates a carrier during
communications, and the target device uses load modulation when communicating back to the
initiator, in a way similar to passive RFID tag behavior. This makes it possible to save power
in the target device, which is a useful feature if the target device has a very restricted energy
source, such as a small battery. It is possible to make a target device such as a sensor readable
over NFC last for several years, even if operated from a small lithium coin-cell battery.
Fig 5.1 The upper layer defines the mechanism of selecting the communication
mode on the lower layer.
5.2 COMPARISON WITH BLUETOOTH AND INFRARED
Compared to other short-range communication technologies, which have been integrated into
mobile phones, NFC simplifies the way consumer devices interact with one another and

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obtains faster connections. The problem with infrared, the oldest wireless technology
introduced in 1993, is the fact that a direct line of sight is required, which reacts sensitively to
external influences such as light and reflecting objects. The significant advantage over
Bluetooth is the shorter set-up time. Instead of performing manual configurations to identify
the other’s phone, the connection between two NFC devices is established at once (<0,1s).
Table points out these different capabilities of NFC, Bluetooth and infrared. All these
protocols are point-to-point protocols. Bluetooth also supports point-to multipoint
communications. With less than 10 cm, NFC has the shortest range.
Table 5.1 NFC compared with Bluetooth and IrDa
Near Field Communication (NFC) is an emerging wireless technology that is designed to
facilitate secure, short-range communication between electronic devices such as mobile

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phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), computers and payment terminals. The concept is
simple: in order to make two devices communicate, bring them together or make them touch.

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CHAPTER 6
NFC- BLUETOOTH BRIDGE SYSTEM
The system architecture of the NFC-Bluetooth Bridge System is shown in Figure 6.1. It
comprises a Bluetooth enabled device, the proposed NFC-Bluetooth Bridge and an NFC card
which is embedded on a smart poster.
Fig 6.1 NFC - Bluetooth Bridge Architecture
The NFC-Bluetooth Bridge is a separate electronic device with two different air interfaces:
Bluetooth (BT) and NFC. In our prototype development, the serial NFC PN531 module from
Philips Electronics was used to provide the NFC air interface, and the serial Initium Promi
SD102 Bluetooth adapter was used to provide the Bluetooth air interface. Both the NFC
module and the Bluetooth adapter were connected by a RS232 cable and communicated using
the following RS232 protocol: 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity bit. The
Bluetooth adapter was configured to the discoverable and connectable mode. This mode
allows the adapter to be discovered when a mobile device searches for it by the device name.
Password authentication was enabled for pairing of the two Bluetooth devices.
The Bluetooth and NFC modules require a 5 VDC power supply each. A PCB is used to

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share the power drawn from an external power supply to the two component modules. Driver
software is needed in the mobile device to drive the NFC PN531 on the NFC-Bluetooth
Bridge to react to NFC targets that are tapped between each other, and to send and receive
information from it.

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CHAPTER 7
USES AND APPLICATIONS
NFC technology is currently mainly aimed at being used with mobile phones.
There are three main use cases for NFC:
Card Emulation: the NFC device behaves like an existing contactless card
Reader Mode: the NFC device is active and read a passive RFID tag.
P2P Mode: two NFC devices are communicating together and exchanging information.
Plenty of applications are possible, such as:
1) Mobile ticketing in public transport — an extension of the existing
contactless infrastructure.
2) Mobile payment — the device acts as a debit/ credit payment card.
3) Smart poster — the mobile phone is used to read RFID tags on outdoor billboards in order
to get info on the move.
4) Bluetooth pairing — in the future pairing of Bluetooth 2.1 devices with NFC support will
be as easy as bringing them close together and accepting the pairing. The process of activating
Bluetooth on both sides, searching, waiting, pairing and authorization will be replaced by a
simple "touch" of the mobile phones.

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7.1 Future Scope
1) Electronic ticketing — airline tickets, concert/event tickets, and others
2) Electronic money
3) Travel cards
4) Identity documents
5) Mobile commerce
6) Electronic keys — car keys, house/office keys, hotel room keys, etc.
7) NFC can be used to configure and initiate other wireless network connections such as
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
8) NFC for Health Monitoring in Daily Life.

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CHAPTER 8
CONCLUSION
In summary, Near Field Communication is an efficient technology for communications with
short ranges. It offers an intuitive and simple way to transfer data between electronic devices.
A significant advantage of this technique is the compatibility with existing RFID
infrastructures. Additionally, it would bring benefits to the setup of longer-range wireless
technologies, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi. NFC is based on existing contactless infrastructure
around the world that is already in use by millions of people on a daily basis. NFC is not a
fashionable nice-to-have technology, but actually a technology that makes people lives easier
– easier to pay for goods and services, easier to use public transport, and easier to share data
between devices.

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REFERENCES
1) ISO/IEC 18092(ECMA-340): Information technology – Telecommunications and
information exchange between systems – Near Field Communication - Interface and Protocol
(NFCIP-1). First Edition, 2004-04-01.
2) Ecma International: Standard ECMA-340, Near Field Communication Interface and
Protocol,December2004,URL:http://www.ecmainternational.org/publications/standards/E
cma-340.htm.
3)www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_Field_Communication.
4)www.nfc-forum.org.
5)www.ecma-international.org.

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