Tomi Engdahl's Card Technology Technology Page


Index


Memory cards

Memory cards are the simples type of smartcard. Memory cards only have some amount of memory inside the card and this memory can be normally read and written. There is normally nothing relly intelligne inside those cards. Typically the momory inside this kind of cards is EPROM, EEPROM or FLASH memory. This card type is very widely used as telehone cards (telecards). Many countries use a telecard system which is very close to the first smartcard telephone system in use in France.

Smartcards

Here you can find information on real smartcards which have a real microprocessor inside the card. There have been many different small microprocessors used inside smartcards including 8031/51 variants, PIC microcontrollers and some pecial microprocessors just designed for smartcard applications. Very many smartcards communicate using the protocols standardized in ISO 7816 standard.

Contactless smartcards

Smartcard products and companies


The following technique are not smartcard techniques. They are in quite often used in applications where smartcards are also used, so I felt that they should be also in this same page.

Magnetic cards

Barcode


Tomi Engdahl <then@delta.hut.fi>

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