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

1. Use the module as an I2C NFC controller. This board is designed around NXP PN7160 with native NCI 2.0 firmware.
2. Connect VDD, VANT, SDA, SCL, IRQ, VEN, GND, and optional DWL as required by your host platform.
3. On Raspberry Pi, enable I2C first, then install linux_libnfc-nci.
4. On ESP32 / Arduino IDE, use the ELECHOUSE_PN7150_PN7160 library workflow referenced below. This repository now covers PN7150, PN7160, and PN7161-related Arduino development.
5. 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

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

ESP32 / Arduino IDE

1. Install the ELECHOUSE_PN7150_PN7160 library from GitHub.
2. Wire the board as shown above.
3. Open the example sketch, update pin definitions if needed, and upload.
4. Open Serial Monitor to verify tag detection.

Libraries and Drivers

• NXP linux_libnfc-nci for Linux-based NCI workflows
• ELECHOUSE_PN7150_PN7160 (GitHub) for PN7150 / PN7160 / PN7161 Arduino and ESP32 development
• Quick Guide (Raspberry Pi / I2C)
• ESP32 and PN7160 in Arduino IDE
• I2C address setting guide
• Schematic PDF

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.

Related Pages

• PN7160 Product Page
• PN7160 vs PN7161
• PN532 vs PN7160 vs ST25R3916
• Best NFC Module for Raspberry Pi / Linux

RFID & NFC Module Selection Guide

Not sure which module fits your project? See the full comparison with protocol support, interface options, and use case guidance in our RFID & NFC Module Selection Guide.

Related Documentation

• PN7160 Documentation – I2C NFC module, good alternative for most projects
• PN532 V4 Documentation – versatile NFC module with I2C, SPI, UART
• PN532 vs PN7160 vs ST25R3916 Comparison
• PN532 V4 vs PN5321 MINI Comparison

Supported NFC Standards and Card Types

Standard	Typical Cards / Tags	Read	Write	Notes
ISO 14443A	Mifare Classic, Ultralight, NTAG, DESFire	✓	✓	Most common NFC cards
ISO 14443B	Bank cards, national ID chips	✓	Limited
ISO 15693	ICODE SLI, ICODE SLIX2, TI HF-I vicinity tags	✓	✓	PN7160 supports this; PN532 does not
FeliCa	Suica, Octopus, PASMO	✓	Limited
NFC Forum T2T–T5T	NTAG21x, Ultralight, ICODE SLI	✓	✓	NDEF read/write

ESP32 / Arduino Code Example

The PN7160 uses NCI 2.0 over I2C. Use the Electroniccats PN7160 library:

#include <Electroniccats_PN7160.h>

#define PN7160_IRQ  14
#define PN7160_VEN  13
#define PN7160_ADDR 0x28

Electroniccats_PN7160 nfc(PN7160_IRQ, PN7160_VEN, PN7160_ADDR);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  if (nfc.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Error: PN7160 not detected");
    while (1);
  }
  nfc.configMode(mode_READER_WRITER);
  nfc.startDiscovery();
  Serial.println("PN7160 ready — tap a tag");
}

void loop() {
  if (nfc.isTagDetected()) {
    Serial.print("Tag detected. Protocol: ");
    Serial.println(nfc.remoteDevice.getProtocol());
    Serial.print("UID: ");
    for (int i = 0; i < nfc.remoteDevice.getIdLen(); i++) {
      Serial.printf("%02X ", nfc.remoteDevice.getId()[i]);
    }
    Serial.println();
    nfc.waitForTagRemoval();
    nfc.restartDiscovery();
  }
}

Library: Electroniccats PN7160 on GitHub. Pin numbers match the ESP32 wiring table above.

Reading ISO 15693 Tags (Vicinity RFID)

ISO 15693 is a key advantage of the PN7160 over the PN532 family. It allows reading of industrial vicinity tags at greater distances than standard ISO 14443 cards.

Common ISO 15693 tags include NXP ICODE SLI/SLI-S/SLIX2 and TI HF-I series. These are widely used in:

• Library book tracking
• Pharmaceutical packaging and lab sample labels
• Asset and inventory management
• Industrial conveyor and parts tracking

With the on-board PCB antenna, typical ISO 15693 reading distance is 3–6 cm under standard conditions. A larger external antenna can extend this further.

// ISO 15693 detection via NCI — PN7160 polls all supported standards automatically.
// No special initialization needed; just start discovery and check the protocol
// field of detected tags:
if (nfc.isTagDetected()) {
  if (nfc.remoteDevice.getProtocol() == PROT_T5T) {
    Serial.println("ISO 15693 tag detected");
    // Read blocks using library methods
  }
}

PN7160 vs PN532 — Key Differences

Feature	PN7160	PN532
ISO 15693	✓ Supported	✗ Not supported
NCI 2.0 firmware	✓	✗ (older TML)
Interface	I2C only	I2C / SPI / UART
Arduino library ecosystem	Electroniccats library	Large ecosystem (ELECHOUSE, Adafruit, etc.)
Linux / Android NCI driver	Native support	Requires libnfc
Apple ECP	✗	✗ (need PN7161)

Raspberry Pi 5 (Bookworm) Compatibility Note

Important: The standard linux_libnfc-nci stack uses the /sys/class/gpio pseudo-filesystem for GPIO control. This interface is deprecated in Linux kernel 6.6, which is the default kernel in Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm (the official OS for Raspberry Pi 5).

If you see GPIO errors or the library fails to control IRQ/VEN pins on a Raspberry Pi 5 running Bookworm, you need to use the libgpiod interface instead.

Fix for Raspberry Pi 5 / Bookworm

# Install libgpiod on Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm
sudo apt-get install libgpiod-dev gpiod

# Verify GPIO chip availability
gpiodetect
# Should list: gpiochip0 [pinctrl-rp1] (54 lines)

# Then rebuild linux_libnfc-nci with libgpiod backend
# Refer to the NXP Community guide for updated build steps:
# https://community.nxp.com/t5/NFC-Knowledge-Base/Porting-PN7160-NCI2-stack-to-Raspberry-Pi-5-OS-Bookworm/ta-p/1977521

On Raspberry Pi 4 running Bullseye (or older OS), the standard /sys/class/gpio approach still works. Only Raspberry Pi 5 with Bookworm OS requires the libgpiod workaround.

Quick Platform Compatibility Summary

Hardware	OS	GPIO Method	Status
Raspberry Pi 4	Bullseye / Buster	/sys/class/gpio	✓ Standard guide works
Raspberry Pi 4	Bookworm	/sys/class/gpio	⚠️ May need libgpiod patch
Raspberry Pi 5	Bookworm	libgpiod required	⚠️ Must use libgpiod
ESP32 (Arduino IDE)	—	Direct pin control	✓ No issue