Contactless Smart Cards - Technological Review & Industrial Applications

A Contactless smart card is a small sized card embedded with integrated chip circuit that could process data. These cards are made by PVC plastic and ABS, sized 85.60 × 53.98mm and 25 × 15. It offers wireless, quick and secure transaction. The wireless transmission ranges takes place only with very few inches.

The embedded small chip circuit (made with golden plated about 1 cm sq makes contact with electrical interface that receives response for data process) in contactless smart card uses RFID. RFID is the technique of using an object built-in into a movable object for identifying and tracking using radio waves.

Radio frequency identification induction technology sends and receives data from the card reader. It requires antenna to be as near as possible to complete transaction. Instead of battery, it makes use of a built-in inductor to capture (RFID). Its standard transmission defines A and B type and C, D, E, F and G type cards. A and B type cards allow data rate of 106 to 848 Kbit/s transmission up to 10cm distance and C, D, E, F and G type cards allow 85.60 × 53.98 mm distance up to 50cm distance. These C, D, E, F and G type cards have been rejected by international organisation and standardization for some security reasons.

Contactless Smart Cards have found extensive application in today's dynamic industrial sphere. With a gamut of industrial use, they are used for identification, data storage, secure and quick transaction. It is designed in a more user-friendly and convenient way for physical access control. It receives the user's input data, makes process and re-sends the output to the users via Radio Frequency Identification. Duplicating this type of card is highly impossible and also its plays a major role against fraudulent activities.

Contactless Smart cards provide effective business transactions, computer security, digital television streams, financial, health care, identification, etc with flexibility and security. For secure transaction, it uses some cryptographic algorithm. In this mass population the application of this card has increased rapidly for payment and ticketing.