ACR122U USB NFC RFID Smart Card Reader Writer — 13.56 MHz | ISO 14443 | MIFARE | FeliCa | PC/SC

Building a contactless application used to mean choosing between broad compatibility and reliable performance. The ACR122U delivers both. Developed by ACS and based on the proven NXP PN532 controller chip, it is one of the most widely deployed USB NFC reader/writers in the world — trusted by developers, system integrators, and businesses running access control, e-payment, ticketing, and identity systems at scale.

At its core, the ACR122U operates at 13.56 MHz and reads or writes at up to 424 kbps over the air, with full USB 2.0 speed of 12 Mbps for data transfer to the host system. A single tap takes under 100 milliseconds — fast enough for high-traffic gates, payment counters, and turnstile deployments where every second counts. The operating distance reaches up to 50 mm depending on tag type, giving users a comfortable tap zone without needing to press the card against the reader.

Card compatibility is where the ACR122U truly stands apart. It supports ISO 14443 Type A and Type B, MIFARE Classic (1K and 4K), MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE Ultralight C, MIFARE DESFire (2K/4K/8K), MIFARE Plus SL1 and SL3, FeliCa (212 kbps and 424 kbps), and all four NFC Forum tag types (ISO/IEC 18092) — covering virtually every contactless smart card and NFC tag format in active use today. NTAG213, NTAG215, and NTAG216 tags are also fully supported, making it ideal for NFC tag encoding and programming workflows.

The device is fully compliant with both CCID and PC/SC standards, which means it installs as a plug-and-play device on Windows (XP through 11), Linux, macOS, and Android — without custom drivers in most cases. A WHQL-certified driver is available for enterprise environments. The built-in ISO 7816-3 SAM slot allows hardware-level cryptographic key storage for high-security deployments, and the ACR122U is also available in module form for OEM integration into POS terminals, kiosks, vending machines, and access control panels.

User feedback is handled by a programmable bi-colour LED (red/green) and an internal buzzer — both fully controllable via software to match your application's workflow. The slim 90×65×12.8 mm PC enclosure weighs approximately 70 grams, connects via a 1-metre USB cable, and draws power entirely from the USB bus (5V, 200 mA operating).

Certifications: CE, FCC, RoHS, ISO 14443-1 through 4.

Applications: access control, employee attendance, e-payment, e-ticketing, mass transit, loyalty programmes, network authentication, smart card personalisation, NFC tag encoding, IoT and maker projects, identity verification.

Product highlights

• 13.56 MHz contactless operation with read/write speed up to 424 kbps over the air and USB 2.0 full speed of 12 Mbps — fast enough for payment counters, turnstiles, and high-traffic gates

• Widest card compatibility in class — ISO 14443 Type A & B, MIFARE Classic/Ultralight/DESFire/Plus, FeliCa (212 & 424 kbps), NTAG213/215/216, and all four NFC Forum tag types (ISO/IEC 18092)

• Sub-100ms read time with operating distance up to 50 mm — delivers a smooth tap experience without requiring cards to physically touch the reader surface

• CCID and PC/SC compliant plug-and-play USB device — installs automatically on Windows (XP–11), Linux, macOS, and Android without manual driver configuration in most environments

• Integrated ISO 7816-3 SAM slot for hardware-level cryptographic key storage — enables high-security deployments where keys must never leave a secure element

• Powered by the NXP PN532 controller — the industry's most trusted NFC chipset, with broad library support including libnfc, pyscard, and nfcpy for developer and open-source projects

• Programmable bi-colour LED (red/green) and internal buzzer — both software-controllable to match your application's user feedback workflow exactly

• Available in module form for OEM integration into POS terminals, access control panels, vending machines, and kiosks — same trusted hardware in a smaller embedded package

• Supports NFC peer-to-peer mode and card emulation mode in addition to reader/writer mode — all three NFC operational modes in a single compact device

• CE, FCC, and RoHS certified — meets safety and electromagnetic compliance requirements for commercial deployment across India, Europe, the US, and global markets