Android Tutorial NFC - Reading and Writing

Erel · Mar 9, 2016

NFC v2.00 adds support for low level access to the NFC features. This allows reading and writing from NFC tags.

The NFC library provides three features:
- Reading Ndef tags based intent filters: Reading NDEF data from NFC tags
- Sending data between two devices (Android Beam): https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/60731/#content
- Low level access to the tag.

This tutorial explains how you can use the low level access to read and write Ndef tags. It is also possible to extend it to other types of tags. However you will need to implement the required protocol yourself.

When a tag is scanned, the system sends an intent. The first step is to call NFC.EnableForegroundDispatch in Activity_Resume. This will force the system to send the intent to our activity instead of sending it to a different app.
You should call NFC.DisableForegroundDispatch in Activity_Pause.

Activity_Resume will be called when an intent is sent to our activity. We need to check two things:
1. This intent is related to a tag discovery.
2. This is a new intent.

B4X:

Sub Activity_Resume
   'forces all nfc intents to be sent to this activity
   nfc.EnableForegroundDispatch
   Dim si As Intent = Activity.GetStartingIntent
   'check that the intent is a new intent
   If si.IsInitialized = False Or si = prevIntent Then Return
   prevIntent = si
   If si.Action.EndsWith("TECH_DISCOVERED") Or si.Action.EndsWith("NDEF_DISCOVERED") Or si.Action.EndsWith("TAG_DISCOVERED") Then
      'work with the intent
     End If
   End If
End Sub

Each NFC tag can support multiple types of technologies.
NFC.GetTechList will return the list of supported technologies.
You can see the full list of technologies here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/nfc/tech/TagTechnology.html

Assuming that the tag supports a technology that is relevant to our app, we create a TagTechnology object with the technology name and then connect to the tag:

B4X:

If techs.IndexOf("android.nfc.tech.Ndef") > -1 Then
   TagTech.Initialize("TagTech", "android.nfc.tech.Ndef" , si)
   'Connect to the tag
   TagTech.Connect
Else

The technology class sets the actual type of TagTech.

The Connected event will be raised when the connection is established. Make sure to check the success parameter as it can fail if the user moved the device during the connection.

Once connected we can start calling the technology specific APIs. The NFC library doesn't expose these APIs. You should instead use JavaObject or TagTechnology.RunAsync to call these methods.
You can find the APIs here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/nfc/tech/NfcA.html (for NfcA).

There are two types of methods: blocking (I/O) and non-blocking.
You should use TagTechnology.RunAsync to call any of the blocking methods. The RunAsync event will be raised when the operation completed (the call itself will be executed on a background thread).

Example of reading Ndef records (API: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/nfc/tech/Ndef.html):

B4X:

Private Sub ReadNdef
   TagTech.RunAsync("ReadNdef", "getNdefMessage", Null, 0)
End Sub

Private Sub ReadNdef_RunAsync (Flag As Int, Success As Boolean, Result As Object)
   Log($"Reading completed. Success=${Success}, Flag=${Flag}"$)
   ListView1.Clear
   If Success Then
     If Result = Null Then
       ToastMessageShow("No records found.", False)
     Else
       Dim message As JavaObject = Result
       Dim records() As Object = message.RunMethod("getRecords", Null)
       For Each r As NdefRecord In records
         Dim b() As Byte = r.GetPayload
         ListView1.AddSingleLine(BytesToString(b, 0, b.Length, "utf8"))
       Next
     End If
   End If
End Sub

The attached example shows how to read and write to Ndef tags. This is a popular and simple format.

Similar example based on the "reader API" and without the platform sounds: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...lt-read-notification-sound-be-removed.142345/

DonManfred · Mar 18, 2016

As far as i know you need to use a HostCardEmulation (HCE) to simulate a NFC-Tag with your device.

Duncan williamson · Mar 18, 2016

Erel said:
There are all kinds of protocols for NDEF payloads: http://nfcpy.readthedocs.org/en/latest/topics/ndef.html
You can add the language code with:

B4X:

Dim s As String = Chr(2) & "en" & originalMessage 'now write s instead of the original messsage

When you read the message, use GetAsTextType instead of GetPayload.

Once again thank you Erel , your help is allways very apreciated !!

Erel · Mar 20, 2016

Cableguy said:
Am I correct in assuming that with this lib we can emulate a NFC device? Like use the phone as a NFC tag, not a reader.

No. You should follow this tutorial if you want to send data between two Android devices: Android Beam Tutorial

Dey · Mar 23, 2016

Help
Tabled
HANNSPAD 13.3" SN14T71
NO NFC

ACR122U USB EXTERNAL +
External NFC Reader Service
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skjolberg.nfc.external

NFCAdvenced
Log:
LogCat connected to: 23NB9EZV7P
--------- beginning of /dev/log/system
--------- beginning of /dev/log/main
** Service (starter) Create **
** Service (starter) Start **
** Activity (main) Create, isFirst = true **
** Activity (main) Resume **
main_activity_resume (java line: 349)
java.lang.NullPointerException
at anywheresoftware.b4a.objects.NFC.EnableForegroundDispatch(NFC.java:91)
at b4a.example.main._activity_resume(main.java:349)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:169)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent(BA.java:153)
at b4a.example.main.afterFirstLayout(main.java:108)
at b4a.example.main.access$000(main.java:17)
at b4a.example.main$WaitForLayout.run(main.java:80)
at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5001)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:801)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:617)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

DonManfred · Mar 23, 2016

Dey said:
EnableForegroundDispatch

This is only available when the device has NFC

http://developer.android.com/intl/es/reference/android/nfc/NfcAdapter.html

I think you need to get the nfc reader to work another way.

From the app description from the link to ap you posted:

Note to non-developers: It is pretty close, but this is not a drop-in replacement for built-in NFC. That would require a custom ROM.

Check out the public API at https://github.com/skjolber/external-nfc-api.

See https://github.com/skjolber/external-nfc-api

DavideV · Apr 22, 2016

Hi,
is there a way to add also the Android Application Records (AAR) writing capabilities to this lib?
See this link, the AAR is decribed near the bottom of the page:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/nfc/nfc.html

Using AAR we can write a tag that will start a specific app to read it's NDEF records. If the app isn't installed it will point to the app store.

Thanks in advance

Davide

Erel · Apr 24, 2016

Yes.

B4X:

Dim AAR As JavaObject
AAR = AAR.InitializeStatic("android.nfc.NdefRecord").RunMethod("createApplicationRecord", Array (PackageName))

Now you can pass AAR in the records array.

DavideV · Apr 24, 2016

wow
thx i will try asap !

DavideV · Apr 24, 2016

Sorry Erel but there isn't 'NativeObject', or i'm missing something?

Erel · Apr 24, 2016

My mistake. It should be JavaObject.

DavideV · Apr 24, 2016

ok i thougth it was javaobject. But now i can't understand how to integrate these lines into the example in the first post

DavideV · Apr 24, 2016

Forgot the last post Erel, i got it ! works! thanks!

Duncan H Williamson · Jun 9, 2016

Erel said:

You can use this code to get the id:

B4X:

Dim jo As JavaObject = TagTech
Dim tag As JavaObject = jo.RunMethod("getTag", Null)
Dim rawId() As Byte = tag.RunMethod("getId", Null)
Log(bc.HexFromBytes(rawId)) 'bc = ByteConverter

I really apreciate the help I have recieved on this topic... but I have yet another question... I am trying to write a URL to a tag so that when it is scanned by another nfc device it will open a web page... to date I have had no success... I can write the URL but it is just read as a line of text.. I have looked through the android documentation mentioned in responses to this topic but have been unable to get this to work... Could anyone point me in the right direction please ?

Regards

Duncan

DonManfred · Jun 9, 2016

how are you writing the tag? show your code please

DavideV · Jun 9, 2016

Duncan H Williamson said:
I really apreciate the help I have recieved on this topic... but I have yet another question... I am trying to write a URL to a tag so that when it is scanned by another nfc device it will open a web page... to date I have had no success... I can write the URL but it is just read as a line of text.. I have looked through the android documentation mentioned in responses to this topic but have been unable to get this to work... Could anyone point me in the right direction please ?

Regards

Duncan

Hi, you must set the correct payload,
if i'm not wrong these are payloads type for NDEF
0x00 = text
0x01 = http://www.
0x02 = https://www.
0x03 = http://

take a look at this lib, maybe you can reuse some code...
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/nfc-tagwriter-and-ibeacon-libraries-for-free.42137/

Erel · Jun 9, 2016

Don't use any other library. See this post: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/nfc-ndef-newbie-question.67581/#post-428078

Duncan H Williamson · Jun 13, 2016

One again you guys have saved my sanity thank you very much !!

pixsys · Aug 30, 2016

Hello,
I'm using this great lib to write an nfcv tag, calling transceive.

My question is, while queueing many different calls (writes at different offsets) will they always be executed in the calling order? or should i use flags in the _RunAsync methods and a timer(to periodically check those flags) to wait for one write completion before queuing the next?

Thanks alot

Erel · Aug 30, 2016

You shouldn't call RunAsync multiple times. Wait for one operation to finish and then call the next one. There is no queue.

Peter Webb · Oct 3, 2016

Hi, I have been playing with the excellent NFC library listed here. I can read Ndef tags with no issues. How can i modify this code to read the other NFC tag types available to Android? I have searched all over the net and can not find a B4A example of reading multiple NFC tag formats.

Can anyone assist me please?

Peter

Android Tutorial NFC - Reading and Writing

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