What is an NFC reader and what can you do with it?

In our earlier article, we talked about RFID readers. In this article, we are going to talk about NFC readers. After all, what is an NFC reader? And what can you do with them? In this article, we will go back to the basics.

What is an NFC reader?

An NFC reader is a device that allows you to program data onto an NFC chip. This is done via an antenna. Both the NFC chip is equipped with an antenna and the reader. This allows the chip and the reader to communicate with each other. Not just communicate, because with a reader it is possible to program and duplicate data. Suppose you want to program 1,000 NFC chips with the same data. Then it takes a lot of time to program each chip in turn. By means of duplication, it is possible to store certain data and then program it directly on the chip, without having to enter the data every time. This is also called duplicating.

What functions does an NFC reader have?

We talked about duplication in the previous paragraph, but of course you can also provide a chip with new data. There are all kinds of functions you can program on the NFC chip, such as a URL, contact information, social media channels, triggers, etc. You connect the NFC reader to your laptop or desktop with a USB cable. Then you can download the software for free on the Internet. With this software, you can read the NFC chip and then program it. Despite the fact that RFID and NFC chips have different frequencies, it is possible to program both RFID and NFC with some readers.

Using your phone as an NFC reader

A good chance your smartphone has an NFC chip built in. That's good news, because then you can program NFC chips through your phone. To do this, you will need an application, but it can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Play Store. Two good applications are ''NXP Tagwriter'' and ''NFC Tools''. Read more about these applications in this blog. These applications are full of features and useful applications.

Workable with all NFC chips

If you want to program RFID, you must pay close attention to the frequency of the chip you want to program. This is because it is possible that the RFID reader does not support the chip. This is not the case with NFC. These chips all work on the same frequency, so you can program all NFC chips with one reader. There are even readers with which you can also program RFID, namely the ACR122U.

The advantages of a reader over a mobile application

The biggest advantage is convenience. An NFC reader works a lot faster than a mobile application. The software allows for easy and fast programming. Should you want to program large amounts of chips, using a reader can save a lot of time. Chip duplication also works very well with an NFC reader.

The most popular NFC reader

Would you like to purchase an NFC reader? Then we recommend purchasing the ACR122U. This reader is the most popular of our range. Thanks to the user-friendly software that you can download online for free, programming has become a lot easier. Should you start working with RFID in the future? The ACR122U also supports RFID chips, such as the MIFARE Classic 1K.