A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC), is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. There are two broad categories of Integrated Circuit Cards. Memory cards contain only non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps dedicated security logic. Microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or polycarbonate. The card may embed a hologram to prevent counterfeiting. Smart cards may also provide strong security authentication for single sign-on within large organizations. Smart cards can be used for identification, authentication, data storage and application processing
l Contact smart card
Contact smart cards have a contact area of approximately 1 square centimetre (0.16 sq in), comprising several gold-plated contact pads. These pad provide electrical connectivity when inserted into a reader.
Cards do not contain batteries; energy is supplied by the card reader.
Signals
l VCC
Power supply input.
l RST
Reset signal, used to reset the card’s communications.
l CLK
Provides the card with a clock signal, from which data communications timing is derived.
l GND
Ground (reference voltage).
l VPP
Programming voltage input – originally an input for a higher voltage to program persistent memory (e.g. EEPROM, but now deprecated.
l I/O
Serial input and output (half-duplex).
l C4, C8
The two remaining contacts are AUX1 and AUX2 respectively, and used for USB interfaces and other uses.
Reader
Contact smart card readers are used as a communications medium between the smart card and a host, e.g. a computer, a point of sale terminal, or a mobile telephone.
Because the chips in financial cards are the same Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) as in mobile phones, programmed differently and embedded in a different piece of PVC, chip manufacturers are building to the more demanding GSM/3G standards. So, for example, although EMV allows a chip card to draw 50 mA from its terminal, cards are normally well below the telephone industry’s 6 mA limit. This allows smaller and cheaper financial card terminals.
l Contactless smart card
A second card type is the contactless smart card, in which the card communicates with and is powered by the reader through RF induction technology (at data rates of 106 to 848 kilobits/second). These cards require only proximity to an antenna to communicate. They are often used for quick or hands-free transactions such as paying a mass transit without removing the card from a wallet.
Examples of widely used contactless smart cards are Hong Kong’s Octopus card, Shanghai’s Public Transportation Card, Moscow’s Transport/Social Card, South Korea’s T-money (bus, subway, taxi), Melbourne’s myki, the Netherlands’ OV-chipkaart, Milan’s Itinero, London’s Oyster card, London’s sQuidcard which is used for small payments in Thames Ditton, Bolton and Dundee, Japan Rail’s Suica card, Israel’s Rav-Kav, Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport and Beijing’s Municipal Administration and Communications Card. All of them are primarily designed for public transportation payment and other electronic purse applications.
Like smart cards with contacts, contactless cards do not have a battery. Instead, they use a built-in inductor to capture some of the incident radio-frequency interrogation signal, rectify it, and use it to power the card’s electronics.
