Adafruit PN532 NFC/RFID Controller Shield for Arduino + Extras

The Adafruit PN532 NFC/RFID Controller Shield brings 13.56 MHz NFC and RFID capabilities to your Arduino. Built around the PN532 chipset — the most widely used NFC controller, found in virtually every NFC-enabled phone and device — it can read and write to NFC/RFID tags and cards of Type 1 through 4.

The shield was designed by RF engineers using professional test equipment to achieve a 10 cm (4 inch) read range — the maximum possible at 13.56 MHz. The tuned stripline antenna can read through non-metal barriers, so you can mount the shield behind a plastic plate using standoffs.

Key Features

• PN532 NFC Controller – Read and write NFC/RFID Type 1–4 tags and cards at 13.56 MHz
• 10 cm Read Range – Professionally tuned stripline antenna for maximum range
• I2C or SPI Interface – Default I2C on A4/A5 with interrupt on D2; switch to SPI via solder jumpers
• Interrupt Pin – Digital pin 2 pulls low automatically when a card or phone is in range (no polling needed)
• Arduino Shield Form Factor – Plugs directly onto Arduino UNO, Duemilanove, Mega R3, and compatible boards
• Includes 13.56 MHz RFID/NFC 1K Card – Ready to test out of the box

Interface Details

• I2C (default) – Uses A4 (SDA) and A5 (SCL) plus D2 for interrupt; shareable with other I2C devices
• SPI (optional) – Enable by shorting two solder jumpers on top of the PCB; uses any 4 digital pins

Compatibility

• Arduino UNO, Duemilanove, Diecimila, NG
• Arduino Mega R3 and later (Mega R2 and earlier require manual I2C wiring)
• Other Arduino-compatible boards with standard shield headers

Ideal For

• RFID access control and tag reading/writing
• NFC project prototyping and development
• Attendance tracking and asset management systems
• Interactive installations triggered by NFC tags

Package Contents

• 1× Adafruit PN532 NFC/RFID Shield (with tuned 13.56 MHz stripline antenna)
• 1× 36-pin 0.1" header
• 1× 13.56 MHz RFID/NFC 1K card

Resources

• Adafruit PN532 NFC/RFID Learning Guide