Arduino Near-Field Communication

NFC is a lot like RFID, in that the there’s a “tag” that is activated by the proximity of a reader and transmits data back — 1K of data, with most of that going to the actual tag. However, NFC has a much shorter range: under < 10cm, ideally < 1cm, and oftentimes when the the reader and tag are physically touching.

The technology is fascinating, and Don does a great job at describing it and its theoretical uses. It’s a great talk from Maker Faire New York on the Electronics Stage. By the way, Don is co-writing a book on NFC with Tom Igoe and Brian Jepson that looks promising!