NFC is the acronym of Near Field Communication. It is a typical example in PAN (Personal Area Network) applications, which enables you to send data in a closer distance (like 3-4 inches or less). LPWAN technology provides long-range (up to several kilometers) communication capability to low power consumption devices (working up to several years without changing the battery). Settings on all Milesight LoRa sensors now are stored on the embedded NFC chip, which allows you to use our Milesight ToolBox App to read and write settings from the sensors on your smartphone wirelessly. The adoption of near-field communication technology can enhance the user experience of configuring LoRa sensors in bulk efficiently.
Now let’s talk about the uses of NFC in LoRa. It is of no surprise to see the NFC-enabled LoRaWAN® sensors in the market as you can read the news that NFC Forum and LoRa Alliance entered liaison to explore technical cooperation for IoT applications in March 2019 (Read News).
Challenges
Before making use of the NFC technology, the old way of configuring LoRaWAN® sensors would cost much more time. You have to download a tool to your PC or laptop at first and read the information of sensors through a USB cable on your screen to complete the configurations. The wired cable-based operation would be troublesome of enclosure opening, while there are a lot of sensors waiting for you to read them. Furthermore, you have to use a magnetic iron to control the turn on/off for sensors.
- Difficult to realize the bulk config in a short time
- No safety assurance for turn on/off operations
In our daily life, the benefits of NFC technology has long been proved in many scenarios, for example, NFC technology makes instant payment via smartphones and tablets easy. Also, the adoption of NFC technology can enhance the user experience in industrial applications that transmit data via LoRaWAN® protocol.
How Does NFC Improve User Experience?
The enhancements can be in the following areas:1. Easy NFC Configuration
It is understandable that if you have concerns about the security of near-field communication. Due to “near field communication", NFC signals will only transmit data near the NFC device, and therefore it would be quite difficult to hack into your device from far away, or even from the door next to you.
If you have a smartphone with NFC function and installed with “Milesight ToolBox” App (download), you can use your smartphone to control this LoRaWAN® sensor, read its type and status, and configure its settings without opening its enclosure.
There are no worries anymore about bulk configuration, as you can save the template and copy it to other sensors.
No messy wiring, no enclosure opening, stable operation, and fast process.
2. Guaranteed On/Off Security
With the help of NFC technology, you can click the button and enter a password on the mobile app to turn on or turn off the sensors within close distance. Compared with the control by magnetic iron, it's a safe way for ensuring wireless operation.
NFC technology complements your wireless sensor network by potentially bringing the convenience and flexibility of using NFC-enabled devices to provide a variety of services in the field.
Therefore, what are you waiting for now？ Please download the “Milesight ToolBox” App from the Google Play Store and Apple Store directly.
