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This “Tellcard” is an early European smart card, built by
Bull CP8.
A 1985 prototype for a electronic travellers cheque card,
also developed by Bull CP8.
An introduction
to smart cards
For decades, magnetic stripe cards have been
used in a variety of applications involving small
amounts of identification data. These magnetic
cards have become the norm in applications
such as credit and key cards, to name just two.
However, they have many drawbacks and will
eventually be replaced by a new technology.
By SAMMY ISREB
The system that will most likely
replace magnetic stripe cards is the
newer smart card technology. A smart
card is similar in appearance to a
conventional magnetic card but that
is where the similarities end. Unlike
a conventional card, a standard smart
card contains a CPU (central processing unit) and associat
ed memory.
Because this setup offers read/write
capabilities, new information can
be added, removed, or processed as
needed.
An average smart card on the market today contains an 8-bit 5MHz
microprocessor, 8K bytes of ROM, 288
bytes of RAM and up to 16K bytes of
EEPROM, all fabricated using CMOS
technology.
4 Silicon Chip
Physically, smart cards have the
same dimensions as stan
dard magnetic stripe cards but have from six to
eight gold I/O contacts along the top
lefthand corner.
These I/O contacts are used in
conjunction with a compatible smart
card reader to transfer data. Hidden
under the gold contacts is a single IC,
containing the entire CPU and memory
contents of the smart card.
Possibly the greatest feature of smart
cards, apart from their high data storage capabilities, is the fact that they
are very secure against unauthorised
data reading/writing. On the simplest
level, they are much more secure than
magnetic stripe cards, as the data is
stored inside the card on board an
IC and not on the surface where it
can easily be read as is the case with
magnetic stripe cards.
On a more sophisticated level, the
fact that a CPU is onboard allows en
cryption methods to be employed in
order to protect sensitive data. And
because both the memory and the CPU
are on a single IC, it is not possible
to “spy” on the data lines that would
otherwise be used to connect two or
more chips. All these features, along
with the fact that most smart cards
will destruct when their plastic casing
is removed, makes them very secure
indeed.
The main drawback of smart cards
(one that will not be solved in the immediate future) is their relatively high
price. A magnetic stripe card can be
manufactured for around $1, whereas
an average smart card can cost from
$15-25. Top-of-the-range cards can
cost many times more, however. Until
this cost barrier is overcome, magnetic
cards will continue to dominate the
market.
Memory cards
For some applications that do not
require the complexity of a CPU,
memory cards are available. These are
composed solely of a memory chip,
An electronic travellers cheque card from Thomas Cook
Financial Services.
usually a form of EEPROM or non-volatile RAM. These cards do not have the
security of a fully-fledged smart card
but are quite adequate for all forms of
prepaid value cards, such as telephone
or stored value cash cards.
Contact or contactless?
As already mentioned, most smart
cards have a number of power and I/O
contacts on their surface that allow
interaction with a card reader. The
number and arrangement of these
contacts varies, depending on the
type of card. This setup does have one
drawback, however – the card must
be inserted into the card reader each
time it is used.
To solve this problem, contactless
smart cards have been developed that
can communicate with the card reader
by radio. The cards receive power
from a 125kHz incident magnetic field
A stored value telephone smart card, which began
operation in France in 1983.
generated by the card reader (along
with timing information), which also
is used for data transfer at rates up to
19.2Kb/s.
Typical contactless smart cards
contain an IC which consists of a
CPU, ROM, EEPROM and either 128
bytes or 512 bytes of non-volatile
ferro
e lectric RAM. A single coil,
located inside the card, is used for
data transmission, reception and
inductive power pickup.
Contactless smart cards have a range
of about 10cm to 1m, depending on
the card and the type of reader being
used. Most systems also have the ability to simultaneously accept multiple
cards in the reading area without data
interference between the units.
A less sophisticated version of the
contactless smart card does away
with the need to obtain its power
inductively from the card reader’s
Fig.1: block diagram of Hitachi’s H8/3102 Smart Card.
magnetic field. Instead, it uses a wafer-thin battery inside the card. This
has two disadvantages in that the card
is slightly thicker than normal and
the card must be replaced every few
years because the battery eventually
goes flat. The advantage is extended
range – up to 10 metres in some cases.
Full or mini-size?
Although most smart cards are the
same size as standard “credit cards”,
mini smart cards have gained popularity in applications where size is
critical. These cards are identical in
operation to the standard smart cards
but are much smaller. They are designed for applications where the card
is to be left in a device for long periods
of time and where size is crucial, such
as in lightweight GSM phones.
Uses of smart cards
Because of their incredible versatility, smart cards already have a wide
(and growing) range of applications. In
Australia at the current time, probably
their largest public use is in the SIM
cards for the GSM digital phones.
These cards are supplied by the
network provider, such as Telstra
or Optus, and contain the owner’s
account information. By using the
card in any digital phone with the
same sized slot, the owner can retain
his/her phone number and account
details, regardless of the phone is
being used.
In some countries, banks are replacing their magnetic stripe cards with
smart cards. However, because of the
relatively high cost of smart cards, the
transition period will be quite lengthy.
In Australia, the infrastructure for such
a move is not yet in place.
October 1996 5
could get rid of the wad of plastic now
found in most people’s wallets.
Choosing a system
A screen capture from the Smart Card Cyber Show world wide web page.
This web site, http://cardshow.com/index.html, is great for those interested in
implementing smart cards in their business.
However, during the next decade or
so, it is quite possible that the switch
to smart cards will occur.
In some parts of Australia, companies are already trailing various
types of stored value smart cards.
When these cards are bought, they
contain a fixed cash value, which is
diminished when purchases are made.
When the card is exhausted, it can be
“recharged” at a bank. This type of
system may even do away with the
need for cash in the future.
One of the most exciting possibilities is the development of smart cards
that combine a number of applications.
Because of their high storage capabilities, it’s possible to make a smart card
that’s a bank card, a SIM GSM mobile
phone card and a stored value cash
card all in one, with a good many other
applications thrown in as well. This
For those keen business people out
there who currently employ magnetic
cards for their customers, a switch to
a smart card system may not only be
feasible but may end up being more
profitable in the long run.
The first step is to identify which
of the advantages of smart cards will
make their use worthwhile. It could
be their extra security features, their
increased memory capacity, or their
inbuilt CPU.
If smart cards are a likely option, a
combination of a smart card system
and suitable reader must be found.
Searching “smart cards” on the Inter
net will reveal a list of manufacturers
and suppliers who can be contacted to
arrange a system that best suits your
needs. Alternatively, a Smart Card
Cyber Show world wide web page
has been set up at web site http://
cardshow.com/index.html.
Conclusion
Smart cards will be one of the most
exciting technologies to watch in the
next decade. When fully implemented, they have the chance to make our
lives simpler, more efficient and more
secure. However, there is still some
way to go before smart cards replace
magnetic stripe cards. Until then,
watch as your magnetic cards start
SC
disappearing, one by one.
TIMELINE OF EARLY SMART CARD DEVELOPMENT
1974: the world’s first memory card
developed. This consisted of a chip
housed in an epoxy board and was
developed by CII-Honeywell Bull.
1980: first Philips smart card developed. Contained two separate
ICs: one microcontroller IC and one
memory IC.
1975: the first memory card in a
“credit card” format, with the chip
and its contacts on one side. This
card was designed by CII-Honeywell Bull.
1981: first true smart card using a
single IC for the microcontroller and
memory, developed by Bull CP8. First
smart card cash payment system
trials in a small European town.
1977: world leader in smart card
technology, Bull CP8, formed from
CII-Honeywell Bull.
1983: first smart card payphone
system established in France.
1989: Thomas Cook experiments
with the use of a smart card as an
electronic travellers cheque. ISO
standard 7816-3 concerning the
electrical characteristics and exchange protocols relating to smart
cards set up.
1987: several International Banks
consider introducing smart cards.
ISO Standard 7816-1 concerning
the physical characteristics of smart
cards set up.
1990 onwards: proliferation of smart
card technology begins. However,
it is slow to take off in Australia,
except for the GSM digital mobile
phone area.
1979: first microprocessor card (twochip) designed by Bull CP8. This card
used a Motorola 3870 microcontroller
and a 2716 EPROM.
6 Silicon Chip
1988: Midland bank introduces smart
cards to its customers. ISO Standard
7816-2, concerning the role and position of smart card electrical contacts,
is set up.
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