Hi everyone,
I had a simple idea about making tiny modules with NFC antenna embedded onto the PCBs and these modules would have nRF52832 from Nordic Semiconductor which has Bluetooth capability. Nordic Semiconductor announced some months ago that the nRF52832 now have both read/write capability (Type 4 NFC) instead of just read capability (Type 2 NFC) so I thought you could do some interesting stuff with them. For example, you can set up a booth where you need to check the presence of people coming in or out of an area and they can check in/out using their phones. Previously, with read-only NFC tags, you would need a phone with internet access on the app that connects to your server to check in/out or the NFC touch would only be verified from the user end. But now, you don't need internet access and you can code a much simpler app that sends text strings to the NFC tag via contact with no internet required for verification. I'm also thinking these can be used for entertainment purposes (i.e., treasure/egg hunt type of sort that have been done before with NFC tags in the past but now with the wireless capability added).
I would compile an Arduino library for basic wireless functionalities such as choosing which centralized Bluetooth controller to connect to by ID. Also, the Arduino would of course support all peripheral functionalities (e.g., UART, I2C, etc.) and allow the user to program what kind of actions to take depending on the messages these tags receive from NFC enabled devices. So, the entire package would consist of one centralized controller (that would either connect to your PC via serial to USB or some other system that will use the serial data to do some tasks) and at least one NFC tag with the Bluetooth capability.
I guess the main question is, are NFC tags with wireless (Bluetooth) capability useful enough for both development and commercial use?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!