IC Card and RFID Test System

acmet is a total solution provider for Electronic Identification devices based system development. We have expertise in developing hardware; firmware and PC based user interface software for Smartcard based applications.

We have designed and developed microcontroller based Hybrid Reader/Writer hardware as an integrated environment for Smartcard and RFID in compliance with the following standards:

• Contact Smartcards complying international standards:

  • ISO/IEC 7816 Identification cards - Integrated circuit(s) cards with contacts
  • JICSAP V2.0 Japan IC card System Application council

• Contact-less Smartcards complying international standard:

  • ISO/IEC 14443 Identification cards - Contact-less integrated circuit(s) cards - Proximity cards (Type B).

• RFID Tags complying international standard:

  • ISO/IEC 15693 Identification cards - Contact-less integrated circuit(s) cards - Vicinity Cards (Type A & B).
  • The hybrid Smartcard and RFID reader/writer supports half duplex transmission with both Contact and Contact-less Smartcards and RFID Tags

• Hardware Design

  The hybrid Electronic Identification Reader/Writer hardware has been designed for functional checking of Smartcards (Contact / Contact-less) and RFID Tags. Current analysis of Contact Smartcard is also possible. In order to evaluate various cards, the interface parameters of Smartcards (Contact / Contact-less) and RFID Tags are variable as per user setting.

• Features of the integrated Electronic Identification Devices ( EID ) hardware:

  • Contact type

    • The Vcc, Reset, Clock and I/O line voltages of the Contact Smartcard can be varied between 1 Volt - 7 Volts in steps of 0.1 Volts. The default value when the hardware is switched ON being 5 Volts on all the lines.
    • The Clock frequency of the Contact Smartcard can be varied from 0.5 MHz to 15 MHz in steps of 0.5 MHz. The default Clock frequency being 3.5 MHz
    • A loop-back testing circuit which automatically checks if correct voltages are set in Vcc, Reset and I/O lines of Contact Smartcard has been made.

  • Contact-less type

    • The Carrier frequency of Contact-less Smartcard can be varied from 3.56 MHz to 28.56 MHz. The different carrier frequencies supported are 3.56MHz, 8.56MHz, 11.56MHz, 12.56MHz, 13.36MHz, 13.553MHz, 13.56MHz, 13.567MHz, 14.56MHz, 15.56MHz, 18.56MHz, 23.56MHz and 28.56MHz. The default Carrier frequency being 13.56 MHz.
    • The ASK Modulation index (of the Communication signal interface Type B) can be varied from 5% to 20%. The default ASK Modulation index being 10%.
    • The Carrier pause time for Contact-less Smartcard can be varied from 1/fc to 512/fc in steps of 1/fc.
    • The default Carrier pause time being 1/fc.
    • An external 50-ohm antenna of 150mm diameter is used.
    • The read-range for contact-less Type B cards is about 6cm.
    • The Contact-less hardware has been tested for compliance with ISO/IEC 10376-6:2001(E) Identification cards - Test methods.

  • RFID Tags

    • Based on ISO/IEC 15693 and ISO/IEC 18000-mode1.
    • Air interface specification (ISO/IEC 15693 -2) has been implemented in hardware. This enhances the speed of simultaneous identification (anti-collision).
    • Can talk with various available tags from different vendors.
    • Reader to Transponder can have any level of modulation indices depending on the Tag (Standard specifies 10% and 100%).
    • Reader to Transponder can have both slow and fast data rates each with 1of 4 coding or 1 of 256 coding.
    • Transponder Reader can also have both Low and High data rates each with Manchester or FSK Technique.

• Firmware Development

  The Microcontroller firmware has been developed for 32 bit ARM7TDMI CPU core based microcontroller. The firmware acts as an interface between the hardware and the PC user interface software.

  The firmware supports

  • Command processing, this includes receiving a command from PC user interface, interpreting the received command and transmitting response back to PC user interface.
  • For Contact Smartcards, Protocol T=0 (half duplex transmission of asynchronous characters) and Protocol T=1 (half duplex asynchronous transmission of blocks).
  • For contact-less Smartcards, Protocol T=CL (half duplex block transmission protocol featuring special needs for contact-less environment). Anti-collision sequence and Multi-Activation of Smartcards is supported.
  • The firmware has been tested for compliance with T=1 and T=CL Protocol Scenarios.
  • For RFID Tags, ISO/IEC 15693 - Part 3 (Anti collision and Transmission Protocol) is supported.

• PC Software Development

  The PC user interface interacts with the user for sending ISO/IEC 7816 and hardware commands to Smartcards (Contact / Contactless) and RFID Tags.

  

  Features of the PC user interface

  • Command Window displays ISO/IEC 7816 and hardware commands. It enables the user to send command manually. A dialog pops-up with default values of the command. The user can also edit default values. The Command is transmitted to the microcontroller board when user clicks "Send" button.
  • Basic interindustry commands and Transmission oriented interindustry commands specified in ISO/IEC 7816-4:1995(E) are supported.
  • The Contact hardware commands can be used to set Vcc, Reset, Clock, I/O voltages and Clock frequency parameters. Commands to Reset Contact Smartcard and select T=0 or T=1 protocol are also available
  • The user can select between Secure Messaging mode or Non-Secure Messaging mode for communication with Contact Smartcards. Algorithm selection for Secure Messaging is possible.
  • The Contactless or RFID hardware commands can be used to set Carrier frequency, ASK Modulation index and Carrier pause time. Commands for initialization and Multi-activation are also available.
  • Script Window allows the user to create Scripts. A Script is a sequence of ISO/IEC 7816 and hardware commands put together to form a test program. The Script can be executed for testing Smartcards (Contact / Contactless) and RFID Tags. The Script created by the user can be saved to a text file. Saved Script files can be loaded again to the Script Window.
  • The Script Window supports: Syntax highlighting Insertion of command on right click menu Block commenting Execution flow display
  • Log Window displays commands sent by the user and response obtained from the Smartcard or hardware. The data is displayed in C-APDU and R-APDU form. The data appearing in Log Window can be saved to a log file.
  • User Message window displays information on error that occurred in the user interface tool. Messages for script syntax error, file open error, port open error are displayed in this window.