Beginning NFC

Chapter 7. Introduction to Arduino and NFC

As you’ve seen from Chapter 6, you can use NFC to initiate all kinds of action when you connect an NFC radio to devices that interface with the physical world. Although we relied on existing hardware in the previous chapter, we don’t always have to do so. For example, imagine you wanted to make the Mood Setter application do more than control lights and music. Perhaps you’d like it to open or close the window blinds, lock the door, or even set off fireworks. All of these things are possible with a custom controller, a few electronic and mechanical components, and an NFC radio. Smartphones and tablets aren’t the only devices that can use NFC. There are NFC modules on the market for microcontrollers as well. In this chapter, you’ll get a brief introduction to NFC on the Arduino microcontroller platform.

Digital Meets Physical: Arduino

If you’re interested in building new physical interfaces for electronic devices, you generally start with a microcontroller. Microcontrollers are the simple programmable computers at the heart of nearly every electronic device you own. The digital input and output pins of a microcontroller can read and generate electrical changes from sensors, or control other components like motors, lights, speakers, and more. The Arduino microcontroller platform makes it easy to begin developing your own microcontroller projects by combining a simple integrated development environment on the software side and a range of preassembled ...