Understanding Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC Technologies
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC are terms that most people are familiar with. We use Wi-Fi to access the internet, listen to music with Bluetooth headphones, and make payments using NFC…
People often ask what the differences are between these three technologies. Which one is the best? Or is it a three-way split? After all, over the years, none of them has been eliminated.Today, let’s explore the advantages of these three technologies together~~~
WIFI
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), also known as “mobile hotspot,” is currently the most widely used wireless network transmission technology.
Wi-Fi technology converts wired network signals into wireless signals, forming a wireless local area network that connects devices within the local area network.For example, we can transmit radio waves through a wireless router, allowing any device within the effective coverage area of the radio waves to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi. Almost all smartphones, tablets, and laptops are now equipped with Wi-Fi modules.Wi-Fi can transmit a large amount of information, is easy to use, and has a relatively long range (about 10 m to 100 m). It is mainly used in SOHO (Small Office, Home Office), home wireless networks, and buildings or places where it is inconvenient to install cables, such as airports, hotels, and shopping malls, saving a lot of costs associated with laying cables.In recent years, with the development of smart devices, Wi-Fi has become closely related to our daily lives, with some even placing Wi-Fi alongside water and air as essential elements for modern youth.Since its inception in the 1990s, Wi-Fi has been widely used and developed, with its standards continuously updated and transmission rates steadily improving.Initially, Wi-Fi operated on frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. As data transmission gradually increased, the latest Wi-Fi 7 has added a 6 GHz band, providing greater transmission capacity. The table below lists detailed information about each version of Wi-Fi.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth was born in May 1998 and is a low-power, low-cost wireless communication technology for short distances (generally within 10 m). Bluetooth effectively simplifies communication between mobile communication terminal devices and enhances data transmission efficiency.
The essence of Bluetooth is to establish a universal short-range wireless interface for communication between fixed or mobile devices, integrating communication technology with computer technology, enabling various devices to communicate with each other without wires or cables in close proximity.
Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band (2.4 GHz to 2.48 GHz). Since the 2.4 GHz band is a globally available ISM (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) band, it is very crowded.To minimize interference with other signals, Bluetooth uses frequency hopping technology. This technology divides the frequency band into several hopping channels, allowing the radio transceiver to “hop” from one channel to another according to a certain pattern during a connection.Only if both parties follow this pattern can communication occur, making it impossible for other signals to interfere in the same manner, thus enhancing Bluetooth’s security and anti-interference capabilities.Today, Bluetooth is not only used in our daily lives (Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth mice, Bluetooth keyboards, etc.) but is also widely applied in fields such as automotive, industrial, and medical, such as in-car Bluetooth entertainment systems, Bluetooth monitoring of CNC machine tools, and Bluetooth monitoring in wards.Over the years, Bluetooth has gone through multiple versions, each with different transmission rate requirements, but all operate in the 2.4 GHz band and maintain compatibility with previous versions, ensuring that devices of different versions can communicate with each other.
NFC
NFC (Near Field Communication) is an emerging technology developed based on non-contact radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, combined with wireless interconnection technology.
Devices using NFC technology (such as mobile phones) can exchange data when in close proximity, commonly used in scenarios like mobile payments, electronic ticketing, access control, and identity verification.
NFC uses bidirectional identification and connection, suitable for communications within 20 cm, operating at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, with transmission rates of 106 kbit/s, 212 kbit/s, 424 kbit/s, and 848 kbit/s.The NFC standard includes a flexible gateway system compatible with non-contact smart cards, divided into three operational modes: peer-to-peer communication mode, reader mode, and NFC card emulation mode.
Peer-to-Peer Mode: Two NFC devices can exchange data, for example, two NFC-enabled phones can connect wirelessly using NFC for data exchange.
Reader Mode: NFC devices can act as non-contact readers, for example, a phone with NFC enabled can read and write public transportation card information, recharge balances, etc.
Card Emulation Mode: An NFC-enabled device can emulate a tag or non-contact card, for example, a phone with NFC can be read as an access card.
NFC only supports short-distance communication and is currently not as widely used as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, NFC has high security, does not require prior pairing, allows for bidirectional information exchange, and is easy to operate. These features suggest that NFC will eventually have its own era, with mobile payments considered the most promising application scenario for NFC.
Three Technologies, Each with Advantages
After reading the above content, I believe everyone has a certain understanding of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC. The table below compares the three technologies.
In fact, there is no superiority or inferiority among these three technologies; each has its own advantages. So far, no technology can combine high transmission rates, long transmission distances, high security, low power consumption, and low cost all in one.We choose the appropriate technology based on different application scenarios, such as using Wi-Fi to transmit large amounts of data, connecting various devices with Bluetooth, and using NFC for mobile payments and identity verification…Therefore, all three technologies are top contenders for us.Today, what I introduced is just the tip of the iceberg of wireless communication technology. Besides the three mentioned above, what other short-range wireless communication methods do you know? Feel free to leave a message and let’s discuss~~~Disclaimer:This article is reprinted from the ZTE Document WeChat official account. If there are any issues regarding the content, copyright, or other matters, please contact the staff via WeChat (prrox66), and we will connect with you for deletion processing as soon as possible!Submission/Recruitment/Advertisement/Course Cooperation/Resource Exchange Please add WeChat: 13237418207
Why do we need to develop 5G-A?
Why do we need to add bias to the tubes when designing amplifiers?
Scan the QR code to add customer service WeChat, note “Join Group” to pull you into the official technical WeChat group of Fanyi Education, and exchange technical issues and insights with many electronic technology experts~
Share 💬 Like 👍 Look ❤️ “Three continuous supports!”Click “Read the original text” to see more valuable articles
