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Data transfer
General description
As the world becomes more digitized, the need to transfer information quickly and accurately between people and devices is becoming increasingly important, and rather than becoming more frustrating it should be getting easier. This is what NFC is all about.
Background information
In today's connected world, we're constantly exchanging information, from simple data such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses to larger files like photos and music. NFC (Near Field Communication) enables peer-to-peer communication between consumer devices and also between a device and a kiosk / information provider. From cellphone to PC, laptop to car infotainment system, PDA to info kiosk, or any imaginable combination - NFC can connect just about any electronic device to any other.
The content transferred depends on the type of device and the business model. NFC even caters to large multimedia files - imagine a smart poster that can send a URL to any device held next to it. Armed with the URL, the user then simply downloads the game / music / video clip over a 3G connection or (W)LAN.
In the same way, NFC can be used to transfer digital rights, granting access to proprietary content. Consumers could buy the rights to a song or video clip they see on their way home and play it immediately on their phone, or wait until later to hear it through their PC or home entertainment system.
Products
NXP offers a choice of highly integrated ICs that make it easy to integrate NFC functionality into your system. Equipped with a variety of interfaces, NFC transmission module ICs can be linked to other microcontrollers within the system, quickly and simply. They fully support ISO 18092, MIFARE™ and FeliCa™ reader/writer modes and can act as a contactless smart card in combination with a security controller IC.
Consumer benefits
In an era where we all own multiple devices, life will be much simpler once our devices are capable of 'knowing' when we want them to talk to each other - and then doing it automatically. And convergence means that many of our devices are capable of performing the same task: consider MP3 phones, GPS-enabled PDAs, TV-on-PC, etc.
With NFC, consumers have an easy way to access and pay for a whole range of content and services, to be enjoyed anytime, anywhere - and on just about any device. Of course, without the buy-in of content owners and service providers, these possibilities would remain strictly theoretical! However, NFC's built-in security features ensure it is an attractive choice for all the players involved.