• Registered: 2012-01-06
  • Posts: 3

Topic: NFC Tag Types - Help me out?

Greetings all,
this is my first post.

I am studying Informatics in Greece and was recently assigned my BSc thesis which has to do with developing an NFC application.

I am really confused when it comes to NFC Tag Types so I'd appreciate your help.

My questions are :

Is it possible to order type 4 tags and then enter the code/NDEF structures I want to inside?
Does that mean I have to pre-order them as read/write and not read-only or can I swap between read/write read-only at any time?

Is it possible to enter my own code in the type 4 tags and then make them read-only if I ordered them as read/write?

Is there anyway to prevent anyone from writing on my tags if I pre order read/write type 4 tags?

Really confused...
I prefer the type 4 tags because I've seen some 8kb tags which are preferrable, but if I can't enter my own code, how am I supposed to test them?

Thank you in advance!

  • Registered: 2012-01-06
  • Posts: 3

Re: NFC Tag Types - Help me out?

nobody? sad

  • rconty
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-04-22
  • Posts: 780

Re: NFC Tag Types - Help me out?

Hello,

hermann wrote:

Is it possible to order type 4 tags and then enter the code/NDEF structures I want to inside?

Yes, you can order for example a NXP DESFire EV1 8k and turn it into NFC-Forum Tag Type 4 using a software like mifare-desfire-write-ndef from libfreefare to "format it" as NFC-Forum Tag Type 4.

hermann wrote:

Does that mean I have to pre-order them as read/write and not read-only or can I swap between read/write read-only at any time? Is it possible to enter my own code in the type 4 tags and then make them read-only if I ordered them as read/write?

It seems you are talking about read/write capabilities in the NFC-Forum mean. NFC-Forum specifies how to handle with this tag content and also the read / write capability.
This one is a logical lock, that means that can be unlocked...

hermann wrote:

Is there anyway to prevent anyone from writing on my tags if I pre order read/write type 4 tags?

At NFC-Forum specs level, no you cant as it's a logical lock but if you take some NXP DESFire EV1 8k tags, we can use DESFire's capabilities to hardware-lock the device.

hermann wrote:

I prefer the type 4 tags because I've seen some 8kb tags which are preferrable, but if I can't enter my own code, how am I supposed to test them?

The NFC-Forum Tag Type 4 does not refers to a specific hardware. Theorically multiple hardwares can act as NFC-Forum Tag Type 4, it only requieres to follow specifications : ie. you can turn a DESFire into Tag4 or you can program a JCOP to also act as Tag4.

If mention can help to understand: using libnfc's example nfc-forum-tag-type4-emulation with a PN532-based hardware, your PC will act as a real NFC-Forum Tag Type 4.

I hope it helps.

Romuald Conty
  • Registered: 2012-01-06
  • Posts: 3

Re: NFC Tag Types - Help me out?

rconty wrote:

Yes, you can order for example a NXP DESFire EV1 8k and turn it into NFC-Forum Tag Type 4 using a software like mifare-desfire-write-ndef from libfreefare to "format it" as NFC-Forum Tag Type 4.

Dear rconty,

thank you for your reply.

So, not all NFC Tags are NFC-Forum Tags? I was just looking to buy NFC Tags and I could either order them as blank or NDEF Formatted.

Can you explain how this works?
I thought all tags were bound by the NFC Forum specifications? How is a blank tag going to work?

  • Registered: 2011-03-22
  • Posts: 5

Re: NFC Tag Types - Help me out?

Dear hermann,

You could purchase NFC Forum Tag Type 4 tags at NFC NETSTORE, http://www.nfcnetstore.com. Both blank and preformatted should be available on request.

  • Registered: 2011-03-22
  • Posts: 5

Re: NFC Tag Types - Help me out?

Henkka wrote:

Dear hermann,

You could purchase NFC Forum Tag Type 4 tags at NFC NETSTORE. Both blank and preformatted should be available on request.

For example http://www.nfcnetstore.com/Card+-+Mifar … %29/p/48/.