IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

A smart card reader is an electronic device that reads smart cards. Access control card readers are used in physical security systems to read a credential that allows access through access control points, typically a locked door. An access control reader can be a magnetic stripe reader, a bar code reader, a proximity reader, a smart card reader, or a biometric reader.

Access control readers may be classified by functions they are able to perform and by identification technology. Following are the main Identification Technology:

PIN

A personal identification number (PIN) is usually a number consisting of four to eight digits – fewer. The advantage to using a PIN as an access credential is that once the number is memorized, the credential cannot be lost or left somewhere. The PIN is less secure than a bar code or magnetic stripe card, but it is more versatile and used everywhere.

SMART CARD

There are two types of smart cards: contact and contactless. Both have an embedded microprocessor and memory. The smart card differs from the card typically called a proximity card in that the microchip in the proximity card has only one function: to provide the reader with the card’s identification number. The processor on the smart card has an operating system and can handle multiple applications. The difference between the two types of smart cards is the manner with which the microprocessor on the card communicates with the readers. A contact smart card has eight contacts, which must physically touch contacts on the reader to convey information between them.

A contactless smart card uses the same radio-based technology as the proximity card with the exception of the frequency band used: higher frequency (13.56Mhz instead of 125 kHz) allows to transferring more data and communicating with several cards at the same time. A contactless card does not have to touch the reader or even be taken out from a wallet or purse.

BARCODE

A barcode is a series of alternating dark and light stripes that are read by an optical scanner. The organization and width of the lines is determined by the bar code protocol selected. There are many different protocols but Code 39 is the most popular in the security industry.

BIOMETRIC

Biometric module depends on the unique biological feature of an individual including iris pattern, finger print, heart beat, facial pattern recognition etc. The use of biometric technology significantly increases security level of systems because it eliminates such problems as lost, stolen or loaned ID cards, and forgotten or guessed PINs. The operation of all biometric readers is alike: they compare the template stored in memory to the scan obtained during the process of identification. Template of each user may also be stored in the memory of his/her smart card. This option removes all limits to the number of system users, but it requires each user to have a card and makes finger-only identification impossible. Biometric templates may also be stored in the memory of a central server PC. This option is called “server-based verification”. Readers simply read biometric data of users and forward it to the main computer for processing.

MAGNETIC STRIPES

Here the stripe of magnetic oxide tape is laminated on a card. There are three tracks of data on the magnetic stripe. Typically the data on each of the tracks follows a specific encoding standard, but it is possible to encode any format on any track. A mag-stripe card is cheap compared to other card technologies and is very easy to program. The magnetic stripe holds more data than a bar code can in the same space. Magnetic stripe technology is also susceptible to misreads, card wear, and data corruption.

WIEGAND CARD

This technology uses embedded ferromagnetic wires positioned to create a unique pattern that generates the identification number. Like magnetic stripe or bar code, this card must be swiped through a reader to be read. Unlike those other technologies the identification media is embedded in the card and not susceptible to wear.  This technology is being replaced by proximity cards because of the limited source of supply, the relatively better tamper resistance of proximity readers, and the convenience of the touch-less functionality in proximity readers.

PROXIMITY CARD

This technology implies the contactless method for authentication.  A common proximity format is 26 bit Wiegand. This format uses a facility code, also called a site code. The facility code is a unique number common to all of the cards in a particular set.