PN7160 Documentation

PN7160 Documentation covers quick start steps, I2C wiring, Raspberry Pi and ESP32 setup, address configuration, libraries, and troubleshooting for the ELECHOUSE PN7160 NFC RFID Module.

Quick Start

Use the module as an I2C NFC controller. This board is designed around NXP PN7160 with native NCI 2.0 firmware.
Connect VDD, VANT, SDA, SCL, IRQ, VEN, GND, and optional DWL as required by your host platform.
On Raspberry Pi, enable I2C first, then install linux_libnfc-nci.
On ESP32 / Arduino IDE, use the PN7150/PN7160 compatible Arduino library workflow referenced below.
Run a basic poll / tag-detect example to confirm the module is responding.

Key Technical Facts

Chip: NXP PN7160
Interface: I2C via 8-pin 1.25 mm lockable connector
NFC protocol stack: NCI 2.0
VDD: 1.8V or 3.3V
VANT: 2.5V to 5.8V
Antenna: on-board PCB antenna
Board size: 42.83 mm × 40.53 mm
Modes: Reader/Writer, Peer-to-Peer, Card Emulation

Pinout / Wiring Reference

PN7160 Pin	Raspberry Pi 4	Notes
SDA	Pin 3 (SDA)	I2C data
SCL	Pin 5 (SCL)	I2C clock
IRQ	Pin 16 / GPIO23	Interrupt
VEN	Pin 18 / GPIO24	Enable / reset control
VDD	Pin 1 / 3.3V	Logic supply
VANT	Pin 2 or 4 / 5V	Antenna supply
GND	Pin 6 / GND	Common ground
DWL	Pin 22	Optional download / maintenance pin

ESP32 Wiring (Arduino IDE guide)

PN7160	ESP32	Notes
DWL	GPIO19	Download / control pin used by sample workflow
SDA	GPIO21	I2C data
SCL	GPIO22	I2C clock
IRQ	GPIO14	Interrupt
VEN	GPIO13	Enable / reset control
VDD	3V3	Logic supply
GND	GND	Common ground
VANT	5V	Antenna supply

Supported Platforms

Raspberry Pi
Linux systems using NXP linux_libnfc-nci
ESP32 in Arduino IDE
Android / embedded Linux systems using NCI 2.0 workflows
i.MX, LPC, Kinetis, and other embedded platforms with I2C support

Initialization Method

Raspberry Pi / Linux

Enable I2C in raspi-config.
Verify /dev/i2c-1 exists.
Install prerequisites: autoconf automake libtool git.
Clone linux_libnfc-nci and use the PN7160 branch / config flow from the quick guide.
Set NXP_TRANSPORT=0x02 and NXP_NFC_DEV_NODE="/dev/i2c-1" in libnfc-nxp.conf.
Build, install, and test with nfcDemoApp poll.

ESP32 / Arduino IDE

Install the Arduino-compatible PN7150 / PN7160 library referenced by ELECHOUSE.
Wire the board as shown above.
Open the example sketch, update pin definitions if needed, and upload.
Open Serial Monitor to verify tag detection.

Libraries and Drivers

I2C Address Options

The module supports multiple 7-bit I2C addresses through resistor configuration on the address pins:

0x28
0x29
0x2A
0x2B

The ELECHOUSE address-setting PDF also lists the corresponding 8-bit read / write values for each configuration.

Example Workflow

# Raspberry Pi / Linux quick test
sudo raspi-config
# enable I2C
ls /dev/i2c*
git clone https://github.com/NXPNFCLinux/linux_libnfc-nci.git -b NCI2.0_PN7160
cd linux_libnfc-nci
./bootstrap
./configure
make
sudo make install
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib
nfcDemoApp poll

Common Errors

No device found on Raspberry Pi: I2C is not enabled or wiring is incomplete.
Build succeeds but no polling response: libnfc-nxp.conf transport / device node settings are wrong.
ESP32 sketch uploads but no tag read: VEN / IRQ / DWL pins do not match the example configuration.
Wrong address: the board resistor configuration does not match the address expected by the host.

Troubleshooting

Start with the official Raspberry Pi quick guide before changing the software stack.
Verify both VDD and VANT are supplied correctly.
Use a short, stable I2C connection during bring-up.
If multiple NFC modules are present, confirm the selected I2C address.

Version Differences

PN7160 is the base NCI 2.0 module in this family.
PN7161 is the closely related upgrade path when Apple ECP support is required.

Update History

2026-04-05: First public PN7160 documentation page published.
Reference documents: quick guide, ESP32 guide, and I2C address guide incorporated into this page.