Android-RFID-NFC-Card-Reader-Integration

This article will guide you how to integrate RFID NFC Card Reader in your android application

Getting Started

RFID is the process by which items are uniquely identified using radio waves, and NFC is a specialized subset within the family of RFID technology. Specifically, NFC is a branch of High-Frequency (HF) RFID, and both operate at the 13.56 MHz frequency. NFC is designed to be a secure form of data exchange, and an NFC device is capable of being both an NFC reader and an NFC tag. This unique feature allows NFC devices to communicate peer-to-peer.

Pre-requisites

Before starting the integration you need to ready these three things:

1. Android Basics
2. NFC Enabled Device
3. NFC Tag

To enable NFC on your android device, go to Settings -> More -> and enable it

Integration

You need to implement changes in the following parts of your Android app for basic integration of RFID Card Reader

1. Manifest
2. Resource folder
3. Main Activity class

1. Manifest

Add these lines in manifest:

• NFC Permission

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.NFC" />

• NFC Feature

<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.nfc" android:required="true" />

• Intent Filter to catch action NDEF_DISCOVERED

<intent-filter>
 <action android:name="android.nfc.action.NDEF_DISCOVERED" />
 <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
 <data android:mimeType="text/plain" />
</intent-filter>

• Meta Data

<meta-data
 android:name="android.nfc.action.TECH_DISCOVERED"
 android:resource="@xml/nfc_tech_filter" />

2. Resource folder

Create file named nfc_tech_filter.xml in -XML- folder with the following contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources xmlns:xliff="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:1.2">
    <tech-list>
        <tech>android.nfc.tech.Ndef</tech>
        <!-- class name -->
    </tech-list>
   </resources>

3. Main Activity class

Add these two changes & Enjoy running code with RFID NFC Card Reader Integrated

• In OnCreate() method

nfcAdapter = NfcAdapter.getDefaultAdapter(this);
if (nfcAdapter == null) {
  // Stop here, we definitely need NFC
  Toast.makeText(this, "This device doesn't support NFC.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
  finish();
}
readFromIntent(getIntent());

pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, new Intent(this, getClass()).addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP), 0);
IntentFilter tagDetected = new IntentFilter(NfcAdapter.ACTION_TAG_DISCOVERED);
tagDetected.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_DEFAULT);

• readFromIntent() method to Read from NFC Tag

private void readFromIntent(Intent intent) {
  String action = intent.getAction();
  if (NfcAdapter.ACTION_TAG_DISCOVERED.equals(action)
          || NfcAdapter.ACTION_TECH_DISCOVERED.equals(action)
          || NfcAdapter.ACTION_NDEF_DISCOVERED.equals(action)) {
      Parcelable[] rawMsgs = intent.getParcelableArrayExtra(NfcAdapter.EXTRA_NDEF_MESSAGES);
      NdefMessage[] msgs = null;
      if (rawMsgs != null) {
          msgs = new NdefMessage[rawMsgs.length];
          for (int i = 0; i < rawMsgs.length; i++) {
              msgs[i] = (NdefMessage) rawMsgs[i];
          }
      }
      buildTagViews(msgs);
   }
}