What is a smart card?

Smart Card: A general name for a plastic card (usually the size of a credit card) embedded with a microchip. Some smart cards contain a microelectronic chip, and the smart card requires a reader/writer for data exchange. Smart cards are equipped with CPU, RAM and I/O, and can handle large amounts of data without interfering with the work of the host CPU.

The smart card can also filter erroneous data to reduce the load on the host CPU. It is suitable for occasions with a large number of ports and fast communication speed requirements. The integrated circuit in the card includes the central processing unit CPU, programmable read-only memory EEPROM, random access memory RAM and the card operating system COS (Chip Operating System) solidified in the read-only memory ROM. The data in the card is divided into external reading and internal processing parts. (Recommended learning: PHP video tutorial)

"Smart Card" is based on IC card technology as the core, using computer and communication technology as a means to connect various facilities inside the intelligent building into An organic whole, users can complete common keys, fund settlement, attendance and certain control operations through an IC card, such as using IC cards to open room doors, IC cards for dining, shopping, entertainment, meetings, parking, and patrolling. , office, fee-based services and other activities. There is no need to carry multiple heavy keys to open the door, go to various corresponding departments to pay fees and other complicated operations like in the past. The entire system can monitor, manage and make decisions for each department as needed. Each local system and terminal can automatically organize and summarize the collected information for system query, summary, statistics, management and decision-making. They can communicate with each other through IC cards, which not only satisfies the independence of each functional management, but also ensures the consistency of the overall management. From different usage occasions, it can be divided into: campus smart card, community smart card, office building smart card, enterprise smart card, hotel smart card, smart building smart card, etc. According to the card type, it can be divided into: IC card (the most widely used), ID card (phasing out), CPU card (development trend)

What are the uses of smart cards?

Functionally speaking, the uses of smart cards can be classified into the following four points:

1. Identification - Use the built-in microcomputer system to perform mathematical calculations on the data to confirm its uniqueness.

2. Payment tool - built-in counter (counter) replaced with currency, bonus points, etc., digital data.

3. Encryption/Decryption - With the rapid development of the Internet, the usage rate of e-commerce has also grown significantly. Some manufacturers said that the most important thing for online consumption is the authenticity of identity, integrity of data, non-repudiation and legality of transactions. Cryptozoological mechanisms such as DES, RSA, MD5, etc., in addition to increasing the security of the card, can also be used offline to reduce communication costs on the network.

4. Information - Due to the popularity of GSM mobile phones, the demand for SIM cards has increased significantly, accelerating the technological development of smart cards, allowing mobile phones to extend from their original simple phone functions to today's network connection and other functions. Its information storage function makes it have a wide range of business applications, such as:

Personal financial records

Bank competition is becoming increasingly fierce, in order to improve customer loyalty and To attract more new customers to join, various banks have launched various bonus offers and improved customer service systems. Through the use of smart cards, not only can free transfer functions be achieved 24 hours a day, but also the paper work of bankers and customers can be reduced. Program time. Many banks have issued smart cards on the market, and the two major credit card groups, MasterCard and VISA, are also about to issue smart cards.

Medical records

Once the health insurance card is ICized, personal medical records can be stored in the chip. No matter which hospital you go to for treatment, you can know your personal medical status. Physicians can immediately know the patient’s medical records, and patients can save time on filling out reports and reduce the hospital’s medical record file maintenance costs. In addition, the national identity card can also be IC-based and store all personal identification information such as fingerprints, birthdays, and personal files in the chip. It can also be used as a passport. The Singapore and Malaysian governments have begun to use it.

Access control

Access control is very important for enterprises and schools. In addition to being used for general access control, smart cards can also store small amounts of money, which is the same as general access control. Stores cooperate with consumers to improve the functionality of cards. For example, a British access control system manufacturer can use smart cards originally used for access control in cash machines, thus combining the functions of access control and electronic wallets.

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