NFC RFID Reader Writer - μFR Classic + FREE SDK

uFR Classic is a first model in Digital Logic’s uFR Series of NFC RFID readers writers.
It is an NFC Forum & RFID compatible contactless reader/writer that successfully implements ISO14443 A & B and ISO18092 standards on an HF working frequency of 13.56 MHz.
This device is a genuine Digital Logic product, 100% designed, produced, and programmed at company premises located in Serbia, Europe.
All models of the uFR Series use the same SDK API and are compatible and interoperable in a common set of functions.

Hardware

Reader’s RF communication is based on NXP’s powerful, highly integrated reader IC for contactless communication at 13.56 MHz, which supports all protocol layers of the ISO/IEC 14443 A, ISO/IEC 14443 B and ISO/IEC 18092 communication standards.

All variants of the MIFARE^® cards family (MIFARE Mini^®, MIFARE Classic^® 1K, MIFARE Classic^® 4K, MIFARE Ultralight^®, MIFARE Ultralight C^®, MIFARE DESFire^® EV1 and MIFARE Plus^®) RF identification protocols are supported. Additionally, NFC Forum specification for “Type 2 Tag” is supported, which adds the NTAG2xx chip family to the above list.

It has a built-in anti-collision mechanism for detecting multiple cards at a time.
Built-in well-tuned antenna provides proximity operating distance up to 80 mm (depending on the card’s antenna geometry) and contactless communication speed at higher baud rates (up to 424 kBd).

The device also has a built-in Crypto1^® algorithm and secure non-volatile internal key memory storage for better security. Communication with the host is provided by using a USB 2.0 Full Speed 2.0-compatible interface. Data transfer rates are limited from 9600 baud to 1 Mbaud, for integrity and security reasons. The reader can also act as a serial interface device using FTDI’s Virtual COM port (VCP) drivers.

The audible (speaker) and 2 LED visible indicators are built-in and user-controllable.

Active amplified antenna with RF booster – providing better and more homogenous card reading range. (Optional)

SAM (Secure Access Module) slot for PCM1.1 SAM cards – ideal for storing keys most securely and for performing secure cryptography operations. (Optional)

This model is also available as an OEM PCB board.

Firmware

Since hardware is based on the MCU platform, it runs on company-developed custom firmware. Communication between host and reader is provided through high-speed direct access FTDI chip features. At the core communication level device uses a company-developed, proprietary communication protocol, which is well documented in SDK API reference.

Firmware has a lot of built-in complex functions that can be called via libraries provided in SDK API.  Most of the functions are written to make “life easier”, like:

• Multiple readers on the same host support
• The whole set of commands for MIFARE^® card manipulation according to the manufacturer’s specification
• Different addressing schemes (Block, BlockInSector)
• Key storage manipulation   (one way, write only, no reading of stored keys)
• Different key applying modes (by index or scheme)
• Value block manipulation
• Treating whole card memory structure as linear space (very convenient for MIFARE Classic^® cards)
• NFC tags manipulation, NDEF format parsing in firmware
• AES128 “on fly” hardware encryption built-in, which is the most important when working with complex DESFire security keys and cards
• AES128 encryption of files and keys in DESFire cards
• MIFARE Plus support
• MIFARE Ultralight C support
• APDU command structure support where applicable (ISO14443-4 layer)
• Asynchronous sending of card UID from reader to host COM port when the card is present; feature is user-programmable
•  and many more …

The main point about firmware is that all firmware functions can be called via communication protocol, too.

That fact moves the usage of this device into another dimension, meaning that this reader can be used on almost any platform that has a serial interface, by simply using a communication protocol. So it can be freely used on PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Raspberry Pi, Beagle Board, MIPS boards, PLCs, Arduino, and other platforms.

Firmware is regularly updated with new versions which include new features, improvements, and bug fixes while preserving backward compatibility with older versions. That means your code is safe, there is no need for changes when new firmware comes out. All firmware upgrades are FREE and can be obtained through the download section of the company’s website.

Software Development Kit (SDK) package 

The reader comes with a fully featured SDK which consists of external libraries, software examples with source codes, documentation about API reference and communication protocol, and some useful software tools.
Libraries are cross-compiled for various platforms and regularly supported are Windows x86/x64 and UWP, Linux x86/x64, Mac OSX x64, ARM/ARM HF, and Arduino.
Other platforms can be supported as custom releases, on customer demand, depending on the existence of project or partnership relation.
Software examples are divided into three stages according to complexity, with some new additions of NFC examples.

All examples are written for all major developing platforms and languages, like:

• Java (and Java Applet example),
• JavaScript (unique feature, convenient for PHP usage),
• Lazarus,
• Borland Delphi,
• C++ Borland Builder,
• Microsoft® Visual .NET family: C++, C#, VB
• Python
• Arduino IDE examples

Other programming language examples can be obtained on customer demand, depending on the existence of a project or partnership relation.

The software package includes a set of very useful applications intended for everyday use, like:

• Application for programming and manipulation of NFC-compliant cards like NTAG and MIFARE Ultralight^®, with source code included.
• Android NFC phone App - Android NFC phone Application for MIFARE^® card reading. Write a card with uFR Reader, and read it with an NFC phone!
• Card Formatter - application for card/tag formatting and programming
• uFR2FileSystem - keyboard simulation, card data reading, card data parsing into several formats, and sending data to MySQL database via HTTP.
• Application for NTAG and MIFARE Ultralight^® card programming and manipulation.
• Application for creating and writing common NDEF messages into NFC tags and cards
• Reader Keys application – for easy manipulation of  keys stored in the reader
• Application for managing of DESFire cards
• Examples of credit card use with reading of public data
• Shell-like environment for easy testing and automation
• Web extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Opera

The documentation contains fully explained API reference and communication protocol reference with real “hands-on” byte-level examples for implementing communication protocol. However, API is a much more comfortable and recommended way of implementation. Where not possible, implementation of communication protocol is a very good alternative.

All libraries, software examples, tools, and documents are regularly updated. They are totally FREE and can be obtained through the download section of the company’s website.

Our tech support team is available to assist with all inquiries you may have. After submitting a free technical support ticket, you should receive a response within two to fifteen days, depending on the intricacy of your inquiry. Please refer to our premium technical support plans for swift assistance.

We can also provide custom solutions based on each customer's needs, so please free to contact us for any questions or further help regarding your projects and implementation.