PN532 NFC Module
Versatile NFC module supporting read, write, card emulation, and peer-to-peer modes.
A more capable NFC controller than the RC522, supporting card emulation and peer-to-peer NFC in addition to basic tag reading. The PN532 handles the full range of NFC operation modes — reading and writing common tag types, emulating a card itself (so a project can act like an access card), and peer-to-peer communication with another NFC device like a smartphone — making it the preferred choice over the simpler RC522 whenever a project needs more than just read/write access-control tag scanning.
Specifications
| Chipset | NXP PN532 NFC/RFID controller |
| Operating voltage | 3.3V DC (5V-tolerant on some breakout boards with onboard level shifting — check your specific module) |
| Operating current | ~100-150 mA during active RF operation |
| Frequency | 13.56MHz (NFC/RFID) |
| Supported tag types | ISO/IEC 14443A (Mifare Classic, Mifare Ultralight, NTAG), and FeliCa |
| Operation modes | Read/write tag mode, card emulation mode, and peer-to-peer (P2P) mode for direct NFC device-to-device communication |
| Read range | ~5-7cm typical, antenna-design dependent |
| Interface | Selectable I2C, SPI, or UART depending on the DIP switch/solder jumper setting on the breakout board |
Pinout
| Pin | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VCC | Power, 3.3-5V DC depending on breakout board |
| 2 | GND | Ground |
| 3 | SDA / MOSI / TX | Data line — role depends on selected interface mode (I2C/SPI/UART) |
| 4 | SCL / SCK / RX | Clock or receive line — role depends on selected interface mode |
| 5 | IRQ | Interrupt output, signals when a tag/device is detected |
| 6 | RSTO / RSTPDN | Reset / power-down control pin |
Most PN532 breakout boards have a small switch or set of solder jumpers to select between I2C, SPI, and UART interface modes — double-check this setting matches your wiring and library configuration, since a mismatched mode is the most common reason a PN532 board fails to respond. I2C mode is the simplest for quick prototyping with common Arduino libraries (e.g. Adafruit's PN532 library).
Variants
Reach for the PN532 whenever the project needs more than plain tag scanning — card emulation, peer-to-peer, or broader tag-type support. If the project is a simple access-control tag reader and cost matters most, the far cheaper RC522 is sufficient and simpler to wire.
| Variant | Temp range | Hum range | Accuracy | Protocol | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PN532 breakout (I2C/SPI/UART selectable) | ~$8-15 | ||||
| RC522 | ~$1-3 | ||||
| PN7150 / PN7160 | ~$8-15 |