Contactless Data Transmission

This chapter describes the technology and operating principles of contactless smart cards. Inductive coupling is presently the most widely used technique for contactless smart cards. It can be used to transmit both power and data. If the distance between the card and the terminal is small, capacitive coupling can be used for data transmission. The technical methods used to ensure interference-free data exchanges when several cards are within the working range of a terminal are called collision-avoidance methods. The term ‘remote coupling cards’ encompasses smart cards that can transmit data over a range extending from a few centimeters to approximately one meter from the terminal. The ISO/IEC 14443 standard, which is titled ‘Identification cards - Contactless integrated circuit(s) cards - Proximity cards’, describes the properties and operating principles of contactless smart cards with a range of approximately 10 cm. The chapter explains other contactless cards such as FeliCa and Mifare. Controlled Vocabulary Terms data communication; memory cards; smart cards