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I'm new to NFC but I have searched stack overflow and not been able to resolve some questions. I am using an OMNIKEY 5127CK mini reader that is attached to an Android device. I'm looking for a solution to have the reader emulate a basic NFC tag with a URL and have that URL automatically open when a user taps their phone (not requiring a special NFC reader app to be open). My main concerns that I have not been able to resolve are:

  1. Does OMNIKEY 5127CK support card emulation through Host Card Emulation or Card Emulation Mode on the device itself?
  2. Can Host Card Emulation be used through to emulate a tag that is automatically picked up by Android/IOS phones?
  3. Is NFC Forum Type 4 Tag the right tag to use for this? I've read somewhere that NFC Forum Type 2 Tag may be better for this but can HCE be used for Type 2 Tags?

I know that for HCE the reader (in this case, a user's phone) must send SELECT command. I'm using the Type 4 Tag AID D2760000850101 but not sure if Android/IOS phones will send SELECT command for that AID. I have tried implementing a Type 4 Tag card emulation similar to the accepted answer described her https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29122848/ndef-message-with-hce-android but have been unsuccessful in getting it to work as expected so far.

I'm trying to determine if I'm going down the right track for this and appreciate any help.

Hoya Coder
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1 Answers1

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It's hard to find technical details of what they reader can do.

But the configuration guide suggest that this is only a reader device.

So some answers

  1. Host is for build in hardware with the necessary hardware support, it does not look like this reader has the necessary hardware support for on host or on device Tag emulation.

  2. Yes, emulated Tags can be picked up automatically via iOS/Android if they are configured for a suitable Ndef message (URL's are the best)

  3. Type 4 Tags are more flexible and more common (as they are used in contactless bank cards), HCE cannot emulate Type 2 tags as these are more simple block memory devices, so Type 4 Tags only.

For HCE on Android https://github.com/underwindfall/NFCAndroid is a fully working HCE App for Ndef messages (only text record messages but fairly easy to change to a URL.

Andrew
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  • Thank you Andrew, that was very helpful! Just one last clarification, I understand from your answer HCE cannot emulate Type 2 tags but can some NFC devices emulate a Type 2 tag using on device Tag emulation? – Hoya Coder Mar 29 '23 at 18:42
  • I'm not aware of anything that emulates Type 2 Tags, the PN532 chip from NXP datasheet says it can emulate a FeliCa Tag in hardware on device (which can be Type 3 compliant) or emulate the non standard Mifare Classic type of Tags. This chip is common in many USB readers. – Andrew Mar 29 '23 at 19:11