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NFC-based Data Retrieval Device

To cite this article: Mohd Helmy Abd Wahab et al 2018 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1019 012084

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

NFC-based Data Retrieval Device

Mohd Helmy Abd Wahab1 , Nur Farezan Mohamed Suhaimi1 ,
Mohamad Farhan Mohamad Mohsin2 , Aida Mustapha3 , Noor Azah
Samsudin3 , Radzi Ambar1
1
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja,
Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
2
College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 UUM Sintok, Kedah,
Malaysia
3
Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn
Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract. This paper describes the design and development of data retrieval system using
near field communication (NFC) protocol to read and transfer data from the device storage
panel located at the recycle bin. In existing systems, data are manually collected from the
storage device using the SD card and sent for upload to regional workstation of the data center,
which is located at the central server. The device automatically establishes the NFC connection
with the recycle bin panel and once the connection is established, data will automatically be
transferred to the device and the current data storage in the recycle bin will be erased. Next,
the collected data will be uploaded to the server through regional workstation.

1. Introduction
Wireless data transfer is the transmission of data between two or more points that are not
connected by any network cable. The wireless system is also considered as the system for “world
without borders” given the advanced technology in Information Technology (IT). Examples
of wireless communication systems include radio frequencies, bluetooth device, infrared, and
Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi). Wireless technology is a critical factor in establishing the real potential
of information-supported educational activities that occur anytime and almost anywhere [1].
In line with the current campaign by the Malaysian government to support green environment,
wireless technology has also been applied in managing recyclable wastes through a reward and
redemption system. Many efforts have been done pertaining waste management system, among
which is the smart recycle bin [2]. The implementation of the recycle bin is based on reward
points for any recyclable wastes thrown in the particular bin. At this stage, the prototype uses
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) in managing the reward point system to encourage the
community to support the campaign of green technology. The point is calculated based on the
weight measured by the device panel and the information is stored into the panel itself as well
as the RFID card for further usage. Information stored in the panels then need to be collected
by the authorized agency to enable end user to check the accumulated points.
Nonetheless, at present the current prototype does not have a mechanism or device to
read the data from the device panel for collection by the authorized waste collector. It is
impractical to require a waste collector to operate the device manually as it involves technical

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

and requires knowledge in IT and many waste authority collectors are not technology literate
people. Therefore, there is a need for a wireless data transfer device for data collection prior
uploading to the web-based redemption system at the regional workstation. The aim of this
project is to utilize the Near Field Communication (NFC) to read the data from the smart
recycle bin by approaching the device to the recycle bin. In it hoped that data collection can
be performed in parallel with waste collection time.
According to work presented by [3], NFC is a short range radio frequency technology that
exchanges data using a wireless system such as phone and sensor. This method could speed
up the process of data collection and reduce missing data if it is being performed manually. It
also reduces the hardware failure due to its minimum data interaction requirement. Figure 1
illustrates the Near Field Communication (NFC) system.

Figure 1. Near Field Communication

As illustrated in Figure 1, the NFC component will be attached to the existing device (e.g:
smart recycle bin). At the moment, the smart recycle bin store information regarding user
transactions and point information into the recycle bin system via the SD card as a storage.
At this stage, data is being transferred manually operated by authorized people from the smart
recycle bin to the data centre at the regional workstation. This often leads to missing data,
failure of hardware, and high training cost to train the waste collector to handle the device.
With NFC, data transfer will be easier to handle with very minimal human intervention. Since
the device will be embedded with the program to automatically read the data and to establish
the connection with the smart recycle, the data will automatically be transferred to the device
once the connection is set and the current data storage in the recycle bin panel will automatically
be erased. The collected information then will be uploaded to the web-based redemption system,
which is located at the regional workstation.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents reviews on related
works on NFC-based data transfer. Section 3 presents the hardware design and embedded
programming required for developing the NFC-based data transfer. Section 4 presents the
evaluation results, and finally Section 5 concludes the research.

2. Related Work
Near Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short, high frequency wireless communication
technology which has emerged from the convergence of contactless identification just like RFID
and network technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. NFC devices can exchange information
on respective capabilities, swap the record, and initiate a long-term communication [4]. NFC is
able to act as both a reader and a tag. By using a standard smartphone, sharing of information is
possible. The data will be transferred into the smartphone by tapping the two devices together.
However, not every smartphone has an NFC technology. The use of popular contactless
payment, for example credits cards and debit cards can also support NFC [5]. The work

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

presented by [6] has developed a new NFC and smart phone-based toll collection system.
This system proposed a new billing system and payment method, which were based on NFC
technology with the support of OBU multi-technology and the smartphone. With this system,
the bill could just appear directly on the smart phone. NFC technologies are also used in
the medical field for promoting efficient healthcare management. NFC has been used with
the assistance of Android-based mobile phone to check whether a patient is given a correct
prescription from the hospital [7]. Each medicine also has an NFC tag that acts as a monitoring
tool by the doctor using his or her mobile phone.
NFC and RFID are two closely related wireless communication technologies that are used
globally for a vast number of applications such as access control, asset tracking and contactless
payments. Table 1 shows the differences between RFID and NFC. NFC is now available in the
majority of mobile phones and this is the most important difference between NFC and RFID.

Table 1. Comparison between NFC and RFID

NFC RFID
Operating Frequency 13.56Mhz 13.56Mhz
Communication Two-way One-way
Standards ISO 14443 ISO 14443, 15693, 18000
Scan Distance Up to 10cm Up to 1m
Scan tag simultaneously No Yes

At present, there are many technologies that have been used in wireless data transfer. The
use of technology in wireless data transfer is tabulated in Table 2.

Table 2. Previous Research Technology on Data Transfer

System/Technology Description Year
Android smartphone (Blue- A system that communicated via bluetooth from 2012
tooth, NFC) [9] a smart phone for data collection and sent it
simultaneously to the central server for data
storage.
Arduino Microcontroller, Wifi Sending data by using UDP (User datagram 2013
Transceiver [10] protocol)
Arduino: using SPI to URT chip on Wifily Board
Arduino controller, xbee mod- The monitoring system for an AGV that needed 2012
ule [12] to read the data to understand the operational
status and travelling routes of the vehicles as well
as providing the fault alarm and current status of
the materials.

As shown in Table 2, RFID enables a one-way wireless communication, typically between

an unpowered RFID tag and a powered RFID reader. RFID tags can be scanned at distances
of up to 100 meters without a direct line of sight to the reader. RFID is used globally for
asset tracking in warehousing, airport baggage handling, livestock identification and much
more. RFID operates at a range of radio frequencies each with their own set standards and
protocols. Meanwhile, NFC operates at 13.56 MHz and is an extension of High Frequency (HF)
RFID standards. NFC therefore shares many physical properties with RFID such as one way

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

communication and the ability to communicate without a direct line of sight. NFC is capable of
two way communication and can therefore be used for more complex interactions such as card
emulation and peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing. However, NFC is limited to communication at close
proximity, typically 5cm or less. Only a single NFC tag can be scanned at one time [8].

3. Materials and Methods

This paper proposed for the use of NFC to capture information stored on a tag attached to the
Smart Recycle Bin [2]. The device automatically establishes the NFC connection with the recycle
bin panel and once the connection is established, data will automatically be transferred to the
device and the current data storage in the recycle bin will be erased. Next, the collected data
will be uploaded to the server through regional workstation. In order to achieve the objective,
two core important components are the hardware design as well as the embedded programs.

3.1. Hardware Design

Figure 2 depicts the block diagram of data transfer from the Smart Recycle Bin to the regional
workstation using NFC technology. Data retrieval device using NFC is graphically represented
in Figure 3, where the device is an integrated of Breakout board PN532 and Arduino Uno.
Meanwhile, the overall system flow is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 2. Block Diagram of Data Transfer

Figure 3. Block Diagram of Data Retrieval System

Figure 5 (left) shows the Arduino Uno, which is a type of kit used as the device. It is a
platform with an open-source electronic prototyping that is flexible and easy to use on software
and hardware components [12]. The language supported by this microcontroller is the Arduino
programming language, which is a high level C language that is easier to understand and write
as compared to other assembly programming languages.
The PN532 as shown in Figure 5 (right) was the platform to perform the wireless data
transfer integrated with Arduino Uno as the system controller of this project. PN532 was a
highly integrated transmission module for contactless communication at 13.56MHz that included
micro controller functionality based on an 80C51 core. The transmission module utilised an
outstanding modulation and demodulation concepts that were completely integrated for different
kinds of passive contactless communication methods and protocols at 13.56MHZ.

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

Figure 4. Overall System Flow

Figure 5. Arduino Uno Controller (left) and Breakout Board PN532 (right)

The PN532 supported four different operating modes, which were Reader/Writer mode
supporting ISO 14443A, ISO 14443B in Reader/Writer mode only, Card interface mode
supporting ISO 14443A and NFCIP-1 mode. The white paper on PN532 is available at
http://www.nxp.com/documents/short_data_sheet/PN532_C1_SDS.pdf.

3.2. Embedded Programs

The device was programmed using the C programming language for embedded system. Several
libraries needed to be correctly configured such as the following.
• Library configuration: The PN532 and Arduino needed to be set up using Arduino IDE
as shown in Figure 6. The AdafruitPN532 library had the ability to read MiFare cards,
including the hard-coded ID numbers, as well as to authenticate and read/write EEPROM
chunks. It could work with both the breakout and shield using either an SPI or I2C
connection [13].

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

• Arduino IDE: Arduino IDE (Figure 6) is an easy-to-use development kit for beginners, yet
flexible enough for advanced users. It runs on multi-platform such as Mac, Windows, and
Linux. In this project, Arduino IDE was used to code the data collected with Breakout
board PN532.

Figure 6. Arduino IDE

4. Results
The testing results on the use of NFC-based data retrieval device for the Smart Recycle Bin is
shown in Figure 7. Two types of analysis were carried out to evaluate the performance of the
prototype from the perspective of the hardware design.

4.1. Device sensitivity analysis

In this analysis, sensitivity analysis was done in three different angles as shown in Figure 7. This
was to indicate that whether the device could be detected on each angle or vice versa.

Figure 7. Prototype of the Data Retieval Device

Table 3 indicates that the device sensitivity detection had been done based on the angle as
illustrated in Figure 8. From the figure, note that angles D and E were more sensitive than
angles A and C, and angle B was indicated as not sensitive at all.

4.2. Sensitivity based on Distance

The results in Table 3 shows the angle of sensitivity, its strength of sensitivity can also be
represented by distance. Table 4 indicates sensitivity based on distance.

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

Figure 8. Data Retrieval Device (prototype) with Angle Labeled

Table 3. Sensitivity Analysis

Angle Sensitivity
A Less Sensitive
B Not Sensitive
C Less Sensitive
D/E More Sensitive

Table 4. Distance Sensitivity

Distance (cm) The sensitivity Time Taken Angle
2 Sensitive 2.08 A
4 Sensitive 2.28 A
6 Less Sensitive 2.40 A
8 Not sensitive - A
2 Not sensitive - B
4 Not Sensitive - B
6 Not Sensitive - B
8 Not sensitive - B
2 Sensitive 2.05 C
4 Sensitive 2.27 C
6 Less Sensitive 2.42 C
8 Not sensitive - C
2 Very sensitive 2.08 D
4 Sensitive 2.28 D
6 Less Sensitive 2.40 D
8 Not sensitive - D
2 Very sensitive 2.05 E
4 Sensitive 2.29 E
6 Less Sensitive 2.45 E
8 Not sensitive - E

5. Conclusions
This paper described the development of a data retrieval system using the NFC protocol, which
consisted of two major parts; hardware design and embedded programming. The hardware part

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1st International Conference on Green and Sustainable Computing (ICoGeS) 2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1019 (2018)
1234567890 ‘’“” 012084 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012084

consisted of the use of PN532 and the software used in this project was Arduino IDE. The device
was developed to overcome the problems of the current existing system which is manually done
to handle the data for the smart recycle bin. By applying the device, the smart recycle bin
would require minimum human operation which could reduce the possibility of recycle bin panel
malfunction.

Acknowledgments
This project is sponsored by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia and partially supported by
Research Gates IT Solution Sdn. Bhd.

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