Using NFC-enabled phones for remote data acquisition and digital control

An approach is discussed to connect stand-alone devices to wireless services by adding Near Field Communication (NFC) capability to such devices. Research has shown that simple NFC interfaces can be built for the specific purpose of connecting to existing equipment that require regular monitoring or digital control. This fact can be exploited to enable wireless monitoring and control of both mobile and immobile equipment, using an NFC-enabled phone as a gateway between a back-end terminal and NFC-enabled equipment. Various wireless protocols for the back-end connection are discussed and compared, as well as a brief look at the current state of NFC phones in the industry. The approach discussed in this paper proves to be a viable alternative in terms of the time it saves in comparison with manual methods of data acquisition and digital system control, whilst being a very simple and inexpensive solution. Such an approach is especially advantageous in systems where monitored equipment need to be mobile and where power consumption is an important consideration.