SMART CARDS

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What is a smart card?

Build, types and specifications
Applications
Advantages and disadvantages

Piotr
Bartenbach

WHAT IS A SMART CARD?

A smart card is a card about the size of a credit card or
a SIM card, that is embedded with a microprocessor
and a memory chip with non-programmable logic.
The microprocessor card is like a computer we can
add, delete, and otherwise modify the information
stored as well as install new programs/functions. A
memory-chip card can only read and write data and
undertake
a pre-defi ned
A
host computer
(e.g.operations.
cash
machine)
and
communicate
microprocessor.

card
with

reader
the

Smart
cards
contain
programming
and
data
to
support multiple applications
and some can be updated to

BUILD, TYPES AND SPECIFICATIONS

C o n t ac t le s s a nd c o nt a c t s m a r tc a rd s
Contact Cards require insertion into a smart card reader with a direct
connection to a conductive micro-module on the surface of the card,
while Contactless Cards require only close proximity of a reader.
In both types, information is stored on a chip
In order to contact with the reader, Contactless Cards have inside them
several wires that acts like an antenna.
The technology used in contactless contacts with a reader is RF (Radio
Frequency) but diff erent than the one used in RFID because it operates at
short distances (up to 10 cm)
Contactless and contact smard cards can be combined, they are called
hybrids
Sm a r t s c a rds m a y ha ve up t o 8 k i lo b yt e s of RA M , 3 4 6 k i l o by t e s o f R O M ,
2 5 6 k i l o by t e s o f pro gr a m m a bl e R O M , a n d a 1 6 - bi t m ic ro p ro c es s o r . SI M
c a rd s h a v e a l s o E E P R O M m e m o r y.

B u i ld

Cross-section view

APPLICATIONS
The m ost po pul a r a pplic a tio ns a re:
C redit /debi t c a rds
Currently known contactless credit and debit cards in Polish market are:
Paypass (Mastercard)
payWave (Visa)

E lec t ronic ca sh
SIM ca rds
H ea lth ca re
ID ca rds
New Polish national ID cards

Pa sspo r ts
Loy a l ty sy st em s
Tr a nspor t a t ion c a rds (e .g. O y ster c a rds i n Lo ndon)
C urre nt ly a pplic a t io ns o f sm a r t ca rds a re c ount le ss a n d w e c a n se e
the m m ore o ft en .

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Advantages of using Smart Cards instead of Magnetic-stripe
only cards :
Microprocessor in the Smart card secures the data contained
Microprocessor, which enforces access to the data on the card, has
better durability Magnetic stripe is much more sensible
Possibility to contactless interaction
Smart cards cannot be removed or removed accidentally by any
electrical or magnetic means

Other advantages

Possibility to store data in a very secure, easy-to-access way

Easily replaceable if lost
In health-care it greatly reduce possibility for mistakes
Portability
Cheap

Disadvantages
Not all smart cards are completely safe
Possible memory failure
Expensive card readers

THANK YOU FOR

ATTENTION
Sources:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question33
2.htm
http://www.smartcardalliance.org
http://www.wisegeek.com
http://web.mit.edu

Piotr
Bartenbac
h