• Registered: 2012-06-06
  • Posts: 20

Topic: NTAG vs MIFARE UL

I currently have a Mifare Ultralight Card (64 bytes) and an NTAG (168 bytes) and am using the android app "TagInfo from NXP". I am running on a Galaxy S3. So when I scan a Mifare UltraLight Card, it detects it as a Mifare Card with 64 bytes, even identifying the IC itself(MF0ICU1). When I scan an NTAG, it detects the IC Type as an "NTAG203(F)" and determines it has 168 bytes of memory.

So my question is since the SENS_RES (44 00) and SEL_RES (00) values are the same, how did the TagInfo app differentiate between the tags? Is it because it uses a PN544 and I am using a PN532? Any ideas on how it is telling the difference?

  • vdp
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  • Registered: 2012-08-31
  • Posts: 2

Re: NTAG vs MIFARE UL

I have the same question. How to distringuish  NTAG203 and UL ?

  • Registered: 2012-06-06
  • Posts: 20

Re: NTAG vs MIFARE UL

So there are two options when trying to differentiate between tags:

1) try reading blocks of memory that would only exist on larger capacity tags, if successful then you know it's not an UL.  Keep attempting these reads until it fails and viola! you now know the capacity. 

2) Next is to determine what family of tag it is vis-à-vis security.  The standard UL does not support the 3DES authentication but the UL C does.  So if you issue an authentication instruction and get some sort of syntax error you know that it's a tag that does not support 3DES and is hence a simpler tag.  Can't recall now if the NTAG has 3DES but you can easily check the public data sheet for that info.

  • vdp
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  • Registered: 2012-08-31
  • Posts: 2

Re: NTAG vs MIFARE UL

Papyrus wrote:

1) try reading blocks of memory that would only exist on larger capacity tags, if successful then you know it's not an UL.  Keep attempting these reads until it fails and viola! you now know the capacity.

Thanks, doing so.

  • Registered: 2013-11-26
  • Posts: 1

Re: NTAG vs MIFARE UL

this post is written in very a good manner and it entails many useful information for me. I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post.

  • Registered: 2012-06-06
  • Posts: 20

Re: NTAG vs MIFARE UL

My pleasure!  Glad to help in any way to stimulate the NFC ecosystem!