RFID Cards
Introducing TopCardSmart RFID Cards
It’s been over 10 years since we launched our UK
renowned TopCard brand of cards, that continues to grow. Our MIFARE® RFID range
is manufactured using premium materials and genuine NXP MIFARE® contactless
chips, they function and look the same as more premium priced brands, however
you benefit from value, economy pricing. We understand that purchasing
can be daunting so please contact us if you would prefer to test a sample
first, or if you are unsure of your existing card’s specification, we can test
and let you know.
We also stock an extensive range of other RFID brands, click here to check them out.
What is a RFID card?
RFID plastic cards (Radio Frequency Identification), Smart Cards, Contactless Smart Cards are all the same type of product. They are credit card sized plastic cards, inside each card is an antenna for sending and receiving information (in form of 13.56 MHz signal) and an integrated circuit (IC) that processes and stores information. The IC contains a memory that is divided into segments and blocks, which enable the plastic card to be programmed for access control and cashless vending.
What RFID cards are compatible with my reader?
Caution, each circuit chip inside RFID cards can vary according to the reader system used. Before purchasing it is important to check the card specification with your hardware provider. If in doubt we can test your card or send you a sample to test.
What are RFID cards commonly used for?
- Student ID Cards
- Access Control & Management
- Loyalty Cards
- Transport Ticketing
- Membership Cards
- Library Cards
- Hotel Keys
- Payment Cards
How do RFID cards work?
The user simply holds the card near the RFID card reader, a distance no greater than 10cm. A connection is established between the card and the reader, then the card sends a code that identifies the type of card selected. The communication between the card and the reader is secured through encryption. Click here for more information.
RFID cards printing
Overprinting in colour with your branding is another service we provide. Alternatively, the cards are compatible with all major brands of plastic card printer, such as Magicard, Evolis, IDP. To avoid damaging the print head make sure the small area on top of the internal chip remains free of print, if you hold the card up to light you will see a slight indent.
What RFID card brands are available?
There are number of different RFID brands. The premium brand leader is MIFARE®, a Phillips NXP owned brand for, widely used in smart and proximity cards. We offer this premium chip in our economy TopCard Smart MIFARE® range. This means you benefit from value pricing without compromising on quality.
What are MIFARE® Classic Cards?
1K and 4K contactless cards operate at a frequency of 13.56 MHz (high frequency). They are designed to keep sensitive information safe by utilizing encryption keys. Data is not emitted until both the card is held to reader and they mutually authenticate each other.
- 56 MHz – RFID Smart Cards
- Contactless, interoperable
- Open format so compatible with most systems and readers
- 1K has 1KB of EEPROM memory divided into 4 sectors with 16 x 16 bytes blocks.
- 4K has 4KB of EEPROM memory, split into 40 sectors, of which 32 are same size as in the 1K with eight more that are quadruple size sectors, making 16 additional sectors of 8 blocks each, for a total of 256 x 16 byte blocks.
The simplicity of these basic cards means that they are inexpensive, which is largely the reason for their success in large-scale projects, such as Oyster card. Commonly used for ID purposes, Card Payments, Loyalty Programs authenticate each other.
What are MIFARE® DESfire Cards?
If you need enhanced security and faster processing then consider DESfire, two options are available the EV1 and EV2. If you currently use a standard 1k or 4k card please contact your system provider and check they have updated their software to support DESfire.
The ‘DES’ in the name refers to the use of DES, 2K3DES, 3K3DES and AES hardware cryptographic engine for securing transmission data, while “Fire” is an acronym for Fast, Innovative, Reliable.
DESFire chips contain a full microprocessor, and offer more robust security features compared to the above traditional 1K and 4K. They are also contactless and manufactured to global standards, created to be compatible with many other access control, ticketing and payment systems. Unlike the 1k and 4k new applications can be loaded remotely after the card has been used and data can be shared between applications.
• 13.56 MHz – RFID Smart Card
• Open format so compatible with most systems and readers
• Interoperable, Contactless, Scalable.
• On-chip Backup Management
• EV1 can hold up to 28 applications and 32 files per application
• EV2 can hold an unlimited number of applications, limited only by memory size (2k, 4k etc.)
• EV2 is backward compatible to EV1
• EV2 utilizes virtual smart card architecture for privacy protection
• Multi-application smart card, ideal solution for schools, colleges and universities, corporate access management, transportation, loyalty cards.
