There are many interesting technologies in the mobile industry today, including NFC. Most smartphone users have not yet figured out this function and do not know what NFC is in the phone, what this module is for, and how to understand if it is present in a particular device.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Translated, it means "close connection". The main nuance lies in the small radius of action, this figure is no more than 10 cm.

This feature allows for contactless exchanges of information. It is important that the devices are close to each other during data transfer, for example, a smart card, a payment terminal, etc.

NFC is based on RFID, which stands for Radio Frequency Identification. The technology is an RFID that automatically detects various objects. AT this case a special radio signal is used that reads the required information contained in the transponders defined as an NFC tag.

The main features of the presented technology include the following points:

• small sensor size;
• allows you to exchange any information with smartphones and passive gadgets;
• does not require a lot of energy to work;
• low speed at the time of information exchange;
• pairing with desired device takes no more than 0.1 sec.;
• low technology cost.

Due to the small size and low power consumption given function popular, it is easy to mount in many devices.

Is there a difference between NFC and Bluetooth?

NFC on a phone is often compared to Bluetooth. This is mainly due to contactless transmission and a small radius of action. On the this moment these functions are implemented immediately in new smartphones.

There are significant differences between the presented technologies. The main nuance is the speed of work. For example, NFC is much slower, but uses little power, and pairing is instant and automatic, unlike Bluetooth.

For example, to use Bluetooth, you need to turn it on, then open the list available devices, select the one you need and wait for the phone to connect to it. While Near Field Communication takes less than a second to get started on its own, all you need to do is tap your mobile phone to the desired gadget.

The next difference is the transmission speed. For example, NFC has a speed of 424 kbps, and Bluetooth, version 2.1, is 2.1 Mbps. At the moment, some smartphones are implementing Bluetooth version 3.1, which develops speeds up to 40 Mbps.

The third difference is in the field of action. For Bluetooth, this figure is no more than 20 cm, and for NFC - no more than 10. This is an advantage for this communication, because such a small radius will guarantee that you will not connect to an unnecessary gadget.

The presented communication is embedded not only in phones, but also in other gadgets, for example, payment terminals. The receiver itself does not require much space, it is mainly mounted in the free space between the smartphone battery and the cover. But if the phone is not amenable to simple disassembly and you cannot look at its insides, then how to determine the presence of NFC?

Carefully read the external indicators on the phone. Often, developers indicate a small emblem in the form of antennas right on the cover of a mobile phone, indicating the presence of technology. Also, the icon will be located in the top pop-up menu of the phone.

At the moment, NFC is being implemented in all android smartphones, whose version is at least 4.0. Another way to find out about the presence of communication is to go to the settings, select the "Wireless networks" column, then click "More". If the function is listed there, then check the box next to it.

Also, this option is often found in cards designed to pay for travel, or in bank plastic. In addition, they began to build it into household appliances, this includes new refrigerators with the “Smart” option.

Since the release of this technology, some users have been wondering what applications exist. The device can operate in two modes.

1. Active. It implies that two gadgets have NFC technology.
2. Passive. The working field of only one of the devices is applied.

The presented communication is designed as a chip that operates in two modes. The first is for mutual data exchange between devices. The second is usually used on special work passes, metro maps, etc.

The most popular use case is contactless payment. Link a bank card to your smartphone, and when paying, put your phone to the terminal. This method guarantees protection against scammers. Attackers will not be able to intercept the signal due to the small field of action of NFC.

You do not need to carry a card with you, you can pay in stores by placing your phone on a terminal that supports contactless payment. How to use the function?

1. You must have a special bank card where the paypass option is supported.
2. Install the application from your bank.
3. Sign in to Personal Area and go to the main menu.
4. Select the NFC box.
5. Then attach the card to the back cover of the phone. This is required in order for the sensor to read information on it.

information exchange

The second use case involves information exchange. For this you need to install android app Beam. This software allows you to transfer various files to another smartphone.

Do not forget that the transfer speed will be extremely low, which is why it is recommended not to send heavy files, but to limit yourself to sending messages or links.

To use this feature, you need to enable NFC in the settings. The activation point is located in the "Wireless networks" column. Then specify which connection you require.

The last item is not recommended because of the low transfer rate. To send the necessary data, you should attach your phone to another. Next, the system will ask for confirmation of the operation, put your finger on the screen. When the sending is completed, you will hear a corresponding tone.

Reading labels

The third use is to read labels. Its principle of operation is similar to scanning a QR code. True, in the case of NFC, it is not used mobile camera, and the sensor under the cover.

This feature is especially useful for home use. Creating your own labels will require the installation of a special application, which can be downloaded from Play market. You can independently assign a specific task to a specific label, for example, “send a message”, “call”, “write a letter”, etc.

Popular programs include:

• ABA NFC. Allows you to create a simple symbol;
• useful software for connecting to Wi-Fi without a password. That is, your guests do not need to search wireless Internet and enter a password, you just need to attach it to a phone connected to this network;
• Smart Tag Maker. The presented application is suitable only for those who have smartphones from Sony.

These labels are passive. This is because they do not require power to contain information. They have a very small volume, sufficient only for storage. desired command. These tags are called TecTiles. To read them, just bring the gadget, after which the command will be activated.

Smartphones can not only read data, but also save it. The main nuance is the installation of a special program. Download the application of the developer who released your phone, or find it on third-party resources. Software for creating records can be paid or free. Be sure to read the description before installing it. It is important that it supports the brand of your smartphone.

You can also purchase TecTiles as a smart card, key fob, fitness bracelet, dongle or sticker. It is worth noting that such gadgets have a larger volume. Experts recommend not to save at the time of purchase of this technology. The quality of communication must be high, then it will last a sufficient time.

Pros and cons of the module

Among the main advantages are a small indicator of energy consumption, acceptable price, usability and security. But before you start using NFC, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances.

Let's analyze the main disadvantages of NFC.

1. Small working radius. This brings some discomfort when using. Although, at the same time, this indicator creates maximum protection. You will not be able to randomly produce a command, pay for a purchase, etc.
2. Uncontrolled creation of modifications for NFC. For example, the developers of Sony and Haomi took up the finalization of the transmission technology. They independently make consumables that carry out their work only with the gadgets of their company. In other words, in order to use all the NFC options, you will only have to purchase smartphones of specific brands. This also includes installation special applications from the same developer.

Some of the shortcomings are corrected gradually. Developers do not abandon their technology and constantly make various improvements.

Conclusion

Today NFC is modern solution A for sending information. But not all smartphones support this technology. If your phone is not modified, then you can purchase a special antenna yourself. Install it under the cover of the gadget or take the spare parts to a service where a specialist will do everything for you.

Another way to get to know NFC personally is to buy a special accessory. Today, many companies offer to purchase memory cards, SIM cards, where the NFC is built in.

The prevalence of NFC has not reached impressive results, but this is not for long. Now it is mainly used for monetary transactions, although there are other areas of application. The main advantage of the modification is safety. Its principle of operation excludes accidental transfers of data and money to other devices.

Using NFC stickers

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

What does NFC technology offer us when using special stickers? To begin with, see these very stickers, which are the subject of a thin layer.

They may look different, the main thing about them is that they have a special NFC chip inside. Perhaps you also have such a label in your pocket, if there is a ticket for traveling on the subway (by the way, I used such a ticket to work with this technology). So, you should put your smartphone on such NFC tag and the phone to perform pre-arranged actions that can be fine-tuned by the user. Your possibilities are limited only by your desires: you can put your phone in silent mode in the meeting room; you can open the navigation map, turn on GPS and mobile data as soon as you are 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 the working WiFi networks and start flipping through the meeting calendar; disconnect from all networks at home and turn on the music; In one word, you can customize absolutely anything. And for this you need only at least one sticker (you can buy them, they are not expensive) and free app in Google Play, thanks to which the possibilities increase and the necessary actions can be performed not only when the phone is brought to the sticker, but also if the battery level reaches a certain level; or you plug in 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 fantasies unfold. In the meantime, we'll start setting up NFC.

How to use NFC or set up an NFC tag

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

• WiFi. If you select this, further actions will be taken when connecting or disconnecting from a specific network.
• Bluetooth. A similar situation as with Wi-Fi.
• NFC. Actually NFC tags. The task is activated when brought to the NFC tag (which we will mainly talk about)
• Battery. Activation at a certain battery level. It is convenient to put the phone into economy mode when the charge is low.
• Time. Activation at a certain 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 perfectly understandable title.
• Agent. I think you will figure it out yourself, I did not succeed.
• Geo-fence. Activation when crossing some terrain.

After selecting the desired trigger (and for the purposes of this article, I recommend choosing NFC), you must click Next. In the next window, you can set restrictions on the action of this task. So the task can only be completed at a certain time, on certain days, with a certain battery level and with various states WiFi technology, Bluetooth and airplane mode. There were no restrictions for my purposes, so I just continued with the setup, skipping this point. Next, you should get to the Task menu (if not, click Next). Here, with the help of a plus sign, you are free to add the necessary tasks that must be completed under the conditions you have chosen (in our case, when brought to the NFC tag). There are a lot of actions, therefore I will list only groups of actions:

• Wireless and LANs
• 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, open it and select the necessary 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, all the tasks you need are configured, and then click Next. Some tasks will require additional settings such as Wi-Fi must be turned on or off. After this additional setup, click Add to Job. You can give your task a unique name or leave the default name, click Next.

The last but one will be the Switches menu. This is quite an interesting point, and an example is needed to understand it. Suppose we have created an NFC tag, from which the phone starts playing music. Logically, 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. For this in this menu you must click the same plus sign and add a new task in the manner described above, select the opposite actions there. Upon completion of these works, click Done. After that, you need to put the smartphone on the sticker, with which the phone is synchronized in less than a second. If the reaction is positive, it remains to click the Done 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. So the Trigger Reuse plugin allows you to reuse NFC stickers, such as subway tickets. You can find all the necessary plugins by querying Trigger Plugin on Google Play. Some of these plugins require additional configuration, some do not. I think you'll understand.

Using NFC technology to pay for metro fares

To use the phone to pay for the metro, you need to contact your mobile operator and clarify whether 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 NFC-enabled SIM card and activate a special service (technical support or sales center employees to help you). After that (in theory), you only need to top up your phone account in time so that one day the turnstile does not start screaming at you.

Today, technology allows people to pay not only with cash and a bank card, but also with a smartphone.

Contactless payments and mobile payment systems are the future, they are becoming popular every day. Google for your operating system created Android Pay(now), Samsung and Apple are systems of the same name with the prefix Pay. They work on the same principle - just bring the included unlocked smartphone to the contactless terminal.

Today we will tell you in detail how to use NFC, how to set up this feature, and what you need for this.

Smartphone with NFC

First and foremost, the device must be equipped with . It is he who is responsible for contactless transactions. If the gadget does not have NFC, unfortunately,. The operating system version must be Android 4.4 or higher.

How to find out if there is NFC:

• Ours.
• Official websites of manufacturers with a list of technical specifications.
• Settings - More / Advanced / Additional features (depending on the version of Android and branded shell). This section should have NFC and Android Beam features that need to be activated.

Supported card

This is the second most important condition. If the card does not support contactless payments or the bank for some reason gives an error when setting up the card, linking it to a smartphone and Android Pay will not work, an error will appear. In this case, you can either contact the bank with a request to reissue the card, or order a new one.

Almost all modern cards, including Sberbank (except Maestro), Alfa, Tinkov and others, support contactless payments. If you see such designations, then in most cases everything is fine.

Depending on the brand of smartphone, we download the application. As you know, all devices except Samsung and Apple need a program (now called Google Pay). It is on her example that we will show how contactless payment via NFC works.

After installing the application, you need to get a bank card in it: you can scan it through the gadget's camera or enter the number manually. You also need to fill in the expiration date, the name of the owner and the CSV code (three digits on the back side) with your hands. Then the entered data must be confirmed - an SMS message with a code will be sent to the phone number to which the card is linked.

When this operation is completed, Android interface Pay will appear bank card. At this stage, the application will definitely require you to set up a screen lock - these are Google's policies. You need to set a PIN graphic key or password. In the future, it will be possible with a fingerprint scanner, the main thing is that the device is unlocked.

Near field communication (NFC) (translated as: “near field communication”) - new technology short-range wireless high-frequency communication. nfc chip< дает возможность обмениваться данными между different devices located at a distance of 10 centimeters. This technology is simple extension of the existing contactless card standard (ISO 14443 classification), combines the operating interface of smart cards and the reader into a common device. Such an NFC device is capable of communicating even with existing smart cards, as well as ISO 14443 readers, and other NFC devices, and may be compatible with a working proximity card infrastructure already in use in public transport/payment systems. NFC is aimed primarily at use in mobile devices.

What is nfc module

The module is an external device that allows for rapid identification using a radio link at a distance. The short-range communication module operates at a frequency of 13.56 MHz at speeds up to 424 kbps. This technology is based on the use of specialized chips (including telephone SIM cards) in communication devices. The widest spread of NFC technology in the near future is associated with the possibility of using it in conjunction with smartphones and mobile phones: mobile device equipped with a module (an external nfc module for a phone is suitable), which will allow the subscriber to make timely payments for services and goods by simply bringing his phone closer to the reader. It is usually understood that the funds are debited from the client's bank account, and not from the account with the mobile operator. connections.

Types of modules

The main types of nfc modules are sim cards, external devices and chips. Also, you can use additional devices for communication and payment, such as NFC modules and stickers. The nfc module for the phone can be ordered separately, or it can be purchased already in the phone as built-in equipment. Stickers are attached to the body of the phone. There are passive and active. The first ones are not able to exchange data with the phone and do not make it possible to write information to the NFC device through the communication channels of the mobile operator. Active - use the Wi-Fi / Bluetooth communication channel to communicate with the device, which leads to increased power consumption, or the need for constant recharging of the module. General disadvantage such modules - the presence of fastening.

How to add an NFC chip to a smartphone

The first option is an NFC SIM card. They are produced by many mobile operators. Install a ready-made functional card in your smartphone and pay for purchases with a light touch on the terminal. Of course, call it quality Apple replacement Pay is not possible because ongoing transactions are not encrypted and do not require fingerprint identification. In addition, the user will most likely have to open a new account with a mobile operator/bank. However, if he is the holder of a plastic card of one of the banks, the problem will disappear by itself. All you have to do is visit the salon. cellular communication, or a bank branch and get a SIM-card.

NFC antenna. Another working way. For all users whose phone or smartphone does not have a “near field” module in their arsenal, the path to “contactless” is a little more difficult. You will have to either replace the device, which is irrational, or equip it with an NFC antenna yourself. Contrary to popular belief, this is much easier to do than previously imagined. To do this, you need to purchase a special external NFC antenna. You can do this in mobile phone stores, then, by gluing it to the SIM card, install it under the cover of your mobile device.

Small remark: make this operation will not work for owners of devices with non-removable back cover and a side slot for SIM cards. You can install the module in almost all phone models. This solution is simple and will be used until phones with built-in NFC modules appear on the market.