NFC Forum Technical Specifications
Data Exchange Format Technical Specification
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NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) Technical Specification
Specifies a common data format for NFC Forum-compliant devices and NFC Forum-compliant tags.
NFC Forum Tag Type Technical Specifications
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The NFC Forum has mandated four tag types to be operable with NFC devices. This is the backbone of interoperability between different NFC tag providers and NFC device manufacturers to ensure a consistent user experience.
The operation specifications for the NFC Forum Type 1/2/3/4 Tags provide the technical information needed to implement the reader/writer and associated control functionality of the NFC device to interact with the tags. Type 1/2/3/4 Tags are all based on existing contactless products and are commercially available.
NFC Forum Type 1 Tag Operation Specification
Type 1 Tag is based on ISO/IEC 14443A. Tags are read and re-write capable; users can configure the tag to become read-only. Memory availability is 96 bytes and expandable to 2 kbyte; communication speed is 106 kbit/s.
NFC Forum Type 2 Tag Operation Specification
Type 2 Tag is based on ISO/IEC 14443A. Tags are read and re-write capable; users can configure the tag to become read-only. Memory availability is 48 bytes and expandable to 2 kbyte; communication speed is 106 kbit/s.
NFC Forum Type 3 Tag Operation Specification
Type 3 Tag is based on the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) X 6319-4, also known as FeliCa. Tags are pre-configured at manufacture to be either read and re-writable, or read-only. Memory availability is variable, theoretical memory limit is 1MByte per service; communication speed is 212 kbit/s or 424 kbit/s.
NFC Forum Type 4 Tag Operation Specification
Type 4 Tag is fully compatible with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard series. Tags are pre-configured at manufacture to be either read and re-writable, or read-only. The memory availability is variable, up to 32 KBytes per service; the communication interface is either Type A or Type B compliant and its speed is up to 424 kbit/s.
Record Type Definition Technical Specifications
Technical specifications for Record Type Definitions (RTDs) and four specific RTDs: Text, URI, Smart Poster, and Generic Control.
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NFC Record Type Definition (RTD) Technical Specification
Specifies the format and rules for building standard record types used by NFC Forum application definitions and third parties that are based on the NDEF data format. The RTD specification provides a way to efficiently define record formats for new applications and gives users the opportunity to create their own applications based on NFC Forum specifications.
NFC Text RTD Technical Specification
Provides an efficient way to store text strings in multiple languages by using the RTD mechanism and NDEF format. An example of using this specification is included in the Smart Poster RTD.
NFC URI RTD Technical Specification
Provides an efficient way to store Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI) by using the RTD mechanism and NDEF format. An example of using this specification is included in the Smart Poster RTD.
NFC Smart Poster RTD Technical Specification
Defines an NFC Forum Well Known Type to put URLs, SMSs or phone numbers on an NFC tag, or to transport them between devices. The Smart Poster RTD builds on the RTD mechanism and NDEF format and uses the URI RTD and Text RTD as building blocks.
NFC Generic Control RTD Technical Specification
Provides a simple way to request a specific action (such as starting an application or setting a mode) to an NFC Forum device (destination device) from another NFC Forum device, tag or card (source device) through NFC communication.
Protocol Technical Specification
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NFC Logical Link Control Protocol (LLCP) Technical Specification
Defines an OSI layer-2 protocol to support peer-to-peer communication between two NFC-enabled devices, which is essential for any NFC applications that involve bi-directional communications. The specification defines two service types, connectionless and connection-oriented, organized into three link service classes: connectionless service only; connection-oriented service only; and both connectionless and connection-oriented service. The connectionless service offers minimal setup with no reliability or flow-control guarantees (deferring these issues to applications and to the reliability guarantees offered by ISO/IEC 18092 and ISO/IEC 14443 MAC layers). The connection-oriented service adds in-order, reliable delivery, flow-control, and session-based service layer multiplexing.
LLCP is a compact protocol, based on the industry standard IEEE 802.2, designed to support either small applications with limited data transport requirements, such as minor file transfers, or network protocols, such as OBEX and TCP/IP, which in turn provide a more robust service environment for applications. The NFC LLCP thus delivers a solid foundation for peer-to-peer applications, enhancing the basic functionality offered by ISO/IEC 18092, but without impacting the interoperability of legacy NFC applications or chipsets.
Reference Application Technical Specification
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NFC Forum Connection Handover Technical Specification
Defines the structure and sequence of interactions that enable two NFC-enabled devices to establish a connection using other wireless communication technologies. Connection Handover combines the simple, one-touch set-up of NFC with high-speed communication technologies, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. The specification enables developers to choose the carrier for the information to be exchanged. If matching wireless capabilities are revealed during the negotiation process between two NFC-enabled devices, the connection can switch to the selected carrier. With this specification, other communication standards bodies can define information required for the connection setup to be carried in NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) messages. The specification also covers static handover, in which the connection handover information is stored on a simple NFC Forum Tag that can be read by NFC-enabled devices. Static mode is used in applications in which the negotiation mechanism or on-demand carrier activation is not required.
