What is a NFC tag?
What is a NFC tag?
An NFC tag always consists of an NFC chip and an antenna. It is important for data transmission with NFC because the chip contains information that is to be read and the antenna can return this information to the reader. NFC tags come in different forms.
The combination of an antenna and an NFC chip is also called an NFC inlay in technical jargon. This can come in different forms, e.g. in the form of a sticker. The NFC chip is usually a silicon chip and contains data. The antenna, which is often made of aluminum, is necessary for communication with the transmitter device. Depending on the shape of the NFC tag, it can also be made of different materials. The NFC inlay (i.e. antenna and chip) is always processed together with the product in NFC products (e.g. EC card).
How big is an NFC tag?
The size of an NFC tag can vary depending on your needs. The smallest NFC tags are with 5-6 mm² quite small and comparable to the size of a contracted human pupil, the largest ones are with a size of 85mm x 55mm as big as a bank card.
Since the chip of an NFC tag itself is very small, the size is due to the antenna. This has a high impact on the performance (e.g. range) of the readout. However, it cannot be said across the board that larger antennas are better and smaller antennas are worse - this depends entirely on the application and the readers used.
First published: 02.10.2023 / Updated: 02.10.2023 2023-10-02 2023-10-02