Hardware & Basics

NFC Device

A device featuring different operating modes based on RF technology. There are three modes: tag emulation (PICC), NFC peer to peer (NFC) and reader/writer mode (PCD). NFC Devices must implement at least mandatory parts of the NFC Protocol Stack. The NFC Devices' operating modes are defined by the NFC Forum

NFC

Near Field Communication: A communication technology standardized in ISO 18092 and ETSI allowing bidirectional communication between two devices based on RF technology. This is also refereed as the peer to peer (P2P) mode of NFC devices.

RFID

Radio Frequency Identification: technology used to identify objects carrying RF transponders. NFC and RFID technology have overlapping standards and terminology.

PCD 

Proximity coupling device: a transmitter that can read tags based on ISO14443 (PICC). The reader emits an electromagnetic field that powers a tag/transmitter by inductivity. Communicates with PICC using load modulation scheme.

PICC 

Proximity inductive coupling card: a transponder that can be read or written by a proximity reader. Theses tags are based on the ISO14443 standard. Such tags do not have a power supply like a battery, but are powered by the electromagnetic field of the reader (PCD)

SWP

Single wire protocol: a connection between the NFC Chips and the UICC to be used as the secure element; also referred as the USIM

HCI 

Host Controller Interface: A specified interface for the NFC Chip for the communication with the host controller/baseband controller of the device.

IC

Integrated Circiut

EE

Execution Environment

NFCC

Near Field Communication Controller: Analog/Digital Frontend IC in the device to enable it for NFC transactions.

Mobile Network Operators

MNO

Mobile Network Operator: The mobile network operator provides a platform for secure application for NFC if having the UICC as the SE

SIM 

Subscriber Identity Module: A smart card in a special form factor used in a mobile phone to authenticate the user against the network.

UICC 

UMTS integrated circuit card: SIM card for UTMS networks

USIM 

UMTS SIM; see UICC

GSMA 

GSM Association: Association of about 700 mobile network operators (MNOs) in 218 countries around the world.

Secure Elements & Platform Management

TTP 

Trusted Third Party: A trusted entity in a distributed environment. The TTP is the Certificate Authority of a Public Key Infrastructure. The TTP is able to issue self-signed certificates.

TSM 

Trusted Service Manager: A trusted entity in an NFC ecosystem managing the SE and acting as a moderator and resolving the m-to-n between MNOs and SPs.

TPM 

Trusted Platform Manger; see TSM

SE 

Secure Element: a Trusted Environment for storing sensitive data or applications.

SAM 

Secure Access Module: module for the purpose of securely storing data, also refered as SE

OTA 

Over the Air: The possibility to send and receive data to/from a device in distributed environment. In GSM networks data connection or SMS could be used to do so.

PKI

Public Key Infrastructure

CA

Certificate Authority

EAL

Evaluation Assurance Level

CC 

Common Criteria: A common agreement on security standards in IT infrastructures.

SP

Service Provider: an entity in the NFC ecosystem providing application. These application do not need to be based on a SE

Smart Card Technology

Java Card OS

A java based operating system for sophisticated smartcards.

JCOP 

Java Card Open Platform: Cards based on Java Card OS implementing the global platform specifications for management applications on the smartcard

Mifare 

A product of NXP Semiconductors. It is a smartcard based on ISO14443A providing up to 4 KB of memory on the card.

Felica 

A product of Sony: This smartcard product is not compatible to ISO14443 but implements a proprietary radio modulation.

c-less

Contactless

JCOP Applet

A java application running on a java card OS based smartcard; also referred as “Applet” (without JCOP) in terms of NFC.

Protocols and Dataformats

T=CL

Transport Protocol for contactless communication in the field of smartcards (related to bit/encoding level on RF layer)

T=1 or T=0

Transport Protocol for contacted communication in the field of smartcards (related to bit/encoding level on physical layer)

PC/SC

Personal Computer/Smart Card: A defined Interface (Software) between a personal computer and a smart card. Used for communication with a smartcard reader.

LLCP 

Logical Link Control Protocol: Protocol used in NFC peer to peer transactions for a smooth establishment of communication. (e.g. handles Initiator + Target Configuration)

NDEF 

NFC Data Exchange Format: A data format to store information like URL, SMS or plain text in a data container that could be stored on an NFC tag or exchanged over NFC (peer to peer mode). One NDEF can contain multiple Record Type Definition (RTD) and therefore is also referred as NDEF data container.

RTD 

Record Type Definition: Specification on how information like URI, SMS or plain text are encoded to fit into NDEF data containers.

NFCIP-1

Standard for NFC (peer to peer mode) standardized in ISO18092 and ECMA 320/340.

APDU 

Application Protocol Data Units: Data Exchange format specified in ISO7896 to exchange data between a reader and smartcard chips.

Card Management

GP 

Global Platform: An industry standard defining the APIs, interfaces and commands for security managing applications on a smartcard

SD 

Security Domain: Part of a Global Platform (GP) compliant smartcard to hold the application of one Service Provider (SP)

ID 

Issuer Domain: the security domain of the card issuer.

MA

Multi Application; usually mention in terms with smart cards and Global Platform (GP).

CCM

Card Content Management

CASD

CA’s SD

SIM Card Technology

SCWS 

Smart Card Web Server: A web server running on a smartcard

SCWS Servlet

An application running in the servlet container of a Smart Card Web Server; also referred as “Servlet” (without SCWS) in terms of NFC.

SAT 

SIM Application Toolkit: Defined Interface/API between SIM and Mobile Equity (ME) for applications running on the SIM Card

STK

SIM Toolkit; see SAT

ME 

Mobile Equity: mobile device providing a SIM card slot

3GPP

3rd Generation Partnership Project: worldwide cooperation between companies in order to drive mobile communication.

BIP

Bearer Independent Protocol: Used in terms of SAT. Applications running on the SIM could make use of various data bearers like BT, SMS or data if supported by the SIM.

Mobile Software

J2ME

Java Platform Micro Edition: Java Implementation for mobile device

SATSA

Security and trust service API: A Java API standard defined in JSR177 allowing a J2ME Application to access the SE of a mobile device.

JSR177

see also SATSA

JSR257

A Java API standard defined to make use of the capability of the NFC functionality of the handset.

Business Terms

BOM 

Bill of Materials: the cost of the material of a device being manufactured (no IP or labour cost)

POS

Point of Sale

VAS

Value added services

SVA

Store Value Account: an account containing sensitive data like money or points to be used in a smartcard based infrastructures.

AFC

Automated Fare Collection: A billing concept for public transport operators based on a check-in/check-out system.

CAGR 

Common Average Growth rate: usually mention in regard to business cases

EMV 

EMV = Europay, Mastercard, Visa. Agreement between credit card companies on a standardized protocol for transaction between a credit card and a card reader. (Mainly security focused).

PTO 

Public Transport Operator

IOS 

independent organizations of sales that sell equipment and services to merchants

EPC 

Electronic Product Code. A data format specification for unique identification of products

IOT 

Internet of Things: A term used to describe ecosystems based on objects being tagged with RF transponders