RFID - Elektor

5 Introduction to Cards and Tags
‘dual-interface cards’ (DIF cards) which have both interfaces available. Typical examples
are bank cards (which use a contact chip) that can also be used as tickets for public
transport (contactless), and (contactless) access control cards (employee IDs) that can
also be used to log in to PCs (requiring contact).
DIF cards are typically only suited to high-cost applications, as the chip processing in
the card is more complicated than for a contact-type or contactless smartcard. All of
the MIFARE cards described herein are purely contactless.
5.2 MIFARE
MIFARE is a registered trademark of NXP Semiconductors, B.V. (formerly Philips Semiconductors),
and is made up of the words ‘Mikron’ and ‘fare collection’. MIFARE is a brand
name, not a product name.
5.2.1 MIFARE Overview
In the early 1990s, the Mikron company developed the original MIFARE card — the ‘MI-
FARE Classic 1K’, which was shipped with a reader device, in 1994.
The target application was the public transport system (fare collection), i.e. the use of
a contactless smartcard as an electronic ticket for train, bus, subway or tram.
This has become a reality in many cities and regions across the world, and modern
transportation systems couldn’t get by without electronic travel tickets. For this reason,
there now is a whole range of card ICs that are sold under the MIFARE name.
5.2.1.1 Success Story
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MIFARE products very quickly established themselves on the market, and MIFARE is a
success story. Aside from Philips Semiconductors (now NXP), which acquired Mikron at
the end of the 1990s, Infineon (previously Siemens Semiconductor Division), also
manufactures MIFARE products under license. Today there are several license holders
for MIFARE technology, and much of this technology has found its way into ISO standards,
such as the ISO/IEC 14443.
The MIFARE product portfolio is continuously being expanded, so that everything from
simple, cheap electronic paper tickets to complex, certified high-security cards are in
use. The MIFARE Classic is still sold, as always, and is probably the most widespread
contactless smartcard. While the exact numbers are not disclosed by the participating
companies, we can assume that there are more than a billion MIFARE Classic cards
currently in use.
5.2.1.2 MIFARE Clone
Such huge success naturally attracts some imitators, such as the ‘Chinese clones’. Even
before the turn of the millennium, Chinese companies were attempting to tear down the
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