What is an NFC Tag
An NFC (Near Field Communication) tag is a passive, unpowered, small physical item that can interact with NFC devices and NFC phones. NFC tags contain an NFC chip and an antenna. NFC chips are small integrated circuits that typically contain a manufacturer supplied, read-only identifier (UID), a small amount of user memory (48 – 888 bytes) and sometimes additional technical features. The NFC chip’s user memory can be written to (encoded) with standardized data formats (NDEF) that allow NFC enabled devices to read the data from the NFC tag, and perform expected actions (open url in browser,…). The term “tag” is a generic term used to describe all type of NFC enabled products. The term “chip” refers to the IC component of the NFC tag.
GoToTags designs NFC tags for high performance and very large quantities of NFC tags are kept in stock for short lead times.
Attributes
- Product Type: NFC tags come in many physical forms intended for specific environments and use cases. Choose the appropriate product type based on how and where the NFC tag will be used, and the type of device (phone) and user that will be performing the interaction.
- NFC Chip Type: Each NFC chip type has its own set of technical features, user memory size and API. The most common NFC chip type is the NXP NTAG213; other NFC chip types should only be used for an explicit reason.
- Size and Shape: NFC tags come in a range of sizes and shapes. The larger the tag, typically the larger the antenna. GoToTags suggests using the largest antenna size possible as it will tend to have better performance and range.
Use Cases
- Consumer engagement; driving users to an online resource; website, video, social profile…
- Uniquely identifying a physical product and verifying its authenticity
- Connect toys to their digital counterpart in games
- Small memory data storage for a specific physical item
