Difference between RFID and NFC:

Technically speaking, NFC (Near Field Communication) is actually a "branch" of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. They all use radio frequency signals to achieve non-contact information exchange, just like two people don't have to talk face-to-face, they rely on radio waves to "communicate across the air". For example, if you place a bus card near a card swiping machine and there is no physical contact between the card and the machine, but information exchange can be completed, this is radio frequency signals acting as a "bridge". NFC is like the "delicate" representative of the RFID family, focusing on close range and convenient interaction scenarios, such as mobile payments and fast data transmission.

The application of RFID is like a big net, covering all aspects of life. In the logistics industry, goods in warehouses are labeled with RFID tags, and staff can scan them with a reader to know the name, quantity, and storage location of the goods, easily completing inventory and scheduling, greatly improving efficiency. In animal husbandry, the electronic ear tags of each livestock record their growth information and health status, making it convenient for farmers to manage. In these scenarios, some RFID tags can actively transmit signals (active tags), while others require a reader/writer to emit signals for activation (passive tags), and the reading and writing distance ranges from a few centimeters to tens of meters. In contrast, NFC's application scenarios are more closely related to our daily lives and focus on "short distance, fast operation". When making NFC payments with a mobile phone, simply place the phone near the POS machine and with a beep, the payment can be completed, which is more convenient than scanning the code for payment.

In terms of working principle, although RFID and NFC are both based on electromagnetic induction, there are many differences in details. RFID systems generally consist of tags, readers, and antennas. Tags are divided into active and passive types. Active tags come with batteries and can actively send signals, with a longer transmission distance; Passive tags rely on the RF energy emitted by the reader/writer to activate and reflect signals, with low cost but short transmission distance. The reader/writer emits radio frequency signals through the antenna to read or write information from the tag. NFC uses bidirectional recognition and connection technology, allowing devices to "communicate with each other" and supporting point-to-point communication. For example, two NFC enabled phones can actively transmit and receive data when touched. And NFC devices can serve as readers to read information from other NFC tags, as well as being read by other devices as tags. This "role switching" makes its applications more flexible. From the perspective of technical parameters, RFID has a wide frequency range, commonly including low frequency (125KHz, etc.), high frequency (13.56MHz), ultra-high frequency (860-960MHz), etc. Different frequencies correspond to different application scenarios and read-write distances. NFC mainly operates in the 13.56MHz frequency band, which ensures a certain level of signal stability and is suitable for close range communication.

In terms of data transmission speed, RFID varies depending on the application scenario, while NFC has a relatively fixed data transmission speed that can meet the needs of daily fast interaction, such as transmitting a photo in just a few seconds.

In terms of security, the two also have different characteristics. Due to its wide range of application scenarios, RFID requires additional encryption measures in some high security scenarios, such as financial payments, to ensure information security and prevent tag information from being illegally read and tampered with. NFC itself has high security because of its short working distance, and data exchange can only be carried out at very close distances, greatly reducing the risk of eavesdropping and attacks. Meanwhile, NFC also adopts various encryption and authentication technologies to further ensure the security of transactions and data transmission. Although RFID and NFC are both technologies that use radio frequency signals for communication, they have significant differences in terms of functionality, application scenarios, working principles, technical parameters, and security. After understanding their characteristics, the next time you encounter scenarios such as public transportation card swiping or mobile payment, you will understand what to use!