NFCIP1

NFCIP-1 stands for Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol 1. It is an international standard that defines the radio-frequency interface and protocol by which two NFC devices can communicate when in very close proximity, typically a few centimeters. The standard enables three primary NFC modes: peer-to-peer, card emulation, and reader/writer interactions by specifying how devices activate, exchange data, and terminate sessions.

The specification describes operation at the 13.56 MHz band and supports both active and passive communication modes. In passive mode, the powered device (initiator) powers the other device (target) from its field, while in active mode both devices generate their own RF fields. NFCIP-1 covers device activation, frame structure, error detection, and collision handling, and it defines the data transfer rates, which are in the range of a few hundred kilobits per second.

NFCIP-1 is published as ISO/IEC 18092 (NFCIP-1) and has also appeared as ECMA-340. It forms part of the broader set of NFC standards that include NFC technologies such as those based on ISO/IEC 14443. The standard provides the low-level communication framework that underpins many NFC applications and implementations.

In practice, NFCIP-1 supports common use cases such as quick device pairing and data exchange between mobile devices, as well as certain card-emulation scenarios. The standard itself does not define application-layer security; security is provided by higher-layer protocols and services. The short communication range of NFC inherently reduces the risk of interception compared with longer-range wireless technologies.