NFC (Near Field Communication)
Comunicación de campo cercano

El NFC es una tecnología inalámbrica de alta frecuencia y de corto alcance, que permite conectar dispositivos para su comunicación e intercambio de datos. Al tener un radio de acción bajo, es necesario que los equipos estén cerca, a 10 o 15 centímetros de distancia para que funcione correctamente.

NFC significa Near Field Communication. Se trata de una tecnología inalámbrica que funciona en la banda de los 13.56 MHz (en esa banda no hace falta licencia de uso) y que deriva de la tecnología RFID de las que seguro que has oído hablar, pues están presentes en medios de transporte o incluso en sistemas de seguridad de tiendas físicas.

Near-field communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless technology that makes your smartphone, tablet, wearables, payment cards, and other devices even smarter. Near-field communication is the ultimate technology solution for connectivity. With NFC, you can transfer information between devices quickly and easily with a single touch—whether paying bills, exchanging business cards, downloading coupons, or sharing a research paper.

Near-field communication transmits data through electromagnetic radio fields to enable two devices to communicate with each other. To work, both devices must contain NFC chips, as transactions take place within a very short distance. NFC-enabled devices must be either physically touching or within a few centimeters of each other for data transfer to occur.

Because the receiving device reads your data the instant you send it, near-field communications (NFCs) greatly reduce the chance of human error. Rest assured, for example, that you cannot purchase something unknowingly because of a pocket-dial or by walking past a location that's embedded with an NFC chip (called a "smart poster"). With near-field communication, you must perform an action intentionally.

In fact, even after NFC technology becomes universal, users may still need to carry a backup payment method; you cannot do much of anything with a device whose battery is drained. Whether this would be a permanent downside to NFC technology, however, remains to be seen.

NFC technology works by combining four key elements: an NFC microchip within a device, which acts as an antenna and receiver; a reader/writer that scans and allows NFC devices to access data; an NFC software application on the device that can use data received by the NFC chip; and an information or communications service provider (ISP) that manages all device communications that occur through the ISP.

NFC is an extension of RFID technology, which relies on radio waves to track goods, supplies, and merchandise. NFC replaces RFID chips with microchips that have the ability to store and encrypt information. While RFID devices are passive and so lack the ability to access information, NFC-enabled devices do.

For example, you can pay for purchases using NFC-enabled debit and credit cards. When you tap your card on an NFC-compliant payment terminal, data is transmitted between your card and the payment processing system to complete the transaction.

An NFC-enabled device can operate under three different modes: reader/writer mode, peer-to-peer mode, and card emulation mode.