Proximity cards or simply "prox cards", like contactless smart cards, communicate through an embedded antenna to a remote receiver. Unlike smart cards, prox cards are read-only devices. It is not possible to write information back on to the card's chip. Prox cards also generally have a greater range of operation than smart cards - from 2.5" to 20" (63.5mm to 508mm), depending on the reader. The amount of information prox cards store is relatively small; an example might be identification codes verified by remote computers to allow access.
Prox cards are available with ISO thicknesses from .027" to .033" (.6858mm to .8382mm) and also as "clamshell" cards from .060" to over .070" thick (1.524mm to over 1.778mm).
Plate type lock is the lock which operates only when it gets power supply. When power supply. It is 12/24V Electromagnetic lock with 700 LBS(270 kgs) holding force, fail safe. It has natural finish.
Combi Cards
The combi card -- also known as a dual-interface card -- has one smart chip embedded in the card that can be accessed through either contact pads or an embedded antenna. This form of smart card is growing in popularity because it provides ease-of-use and high security in a single card product.
Mass transit is expected to be one of the more popular applications for the combi card. In the mass transit application, a contact-type acceptor can be used to place a cash value in the chip's memory and the contactless interface can be used to deduct a fare from the card.
What is RFID?
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. There are several methods of identification, but the most common is to store a serial number that identifies a person or object, and perhaps other information, on a microchip that is attached to an antenna (the chip and the antenna together are called an RFID transponder or an RFID tag). The antenna enables the chip to transmit the identification information to a reader. The reader converts the radio waves reflected back from the RFID tag into digital information that can then be passed on to computers that can make use of it
What are some of the most common applications for RFID?
RFID is used for everything from tracking cows and pets to triggering equipment down oil wells. It may sound trite, but the applications are limited only by people's imagination. The most common applications are payment systems (Mobil Speedpass and toll collection systems, for instance), access control and asset tracking. Increasingly, companies are looking to use RFID to track goods within their supply chain, to work in process and for other applications.
Where will the initial benefits of RFID technology be?
RFID technology can deliver benefits in many areas, from tracking work in process to speeding up throughput in a warehouse. As the technology becomes standardized, it will be used more and more to track goods in the supply chain. The aim is to reduce administrative error, labor costs associated with scanning bar codes, internal theft, errors in shipping goods and overall inventory levels.
How does an RFID system work?
An RFID system consists of a tag made up of a microchip with an antenna, and an interrogator or reader with an antenna. The reader sends out electromagnetic waves. The tag antenna is tuned to receive these waves. A passive RFID tag draws power from the field created by the reader and uses it to power the microchip's circuits. The chip then modulates the waves that the tag sends back to the reader, which converts the new waves into digital data. For more information on the components of a complete system used in businesses, see Getting Started.
What is the difference between low-, high-, and ultra-high frequencies?
Just as your radio tunes in to different frequencies to hear different channels, RFID tags and readers have to be tuned to the same frequency to communicate. RFID systems use many different frequencies, but generally the most common are low-frequency (around 125 KHz), high-frequency (13.56 MHz) and ultra-high-frequency or UHF (860-960 MHz). Microwave (2.45 GHz) is also used in some applications. Radio waves behave differently at different frequencies, so you have to choose the right frequency for the right application.
Do all countries use the same frequencies?
Most countries have assigned the 125 kHz or 134 kHz area of the radio spectrum for low-frequency systems, and 13.56 MHz is used around the world for high-frequency systems. But UHF RFID systems have only been around since the mid-1990s, and countries have not agreed on a single area of the UHF spectrum for RFID. Europe uses 868 MHz for UHF, while the U.S. uses 915 MHz. Until recently, Japan did not allow any use of the UHF spectrum for RFID, but it is looking to open up the 960 MHz area for RFID. Many other devices use the UHF spectrum, so it will take years for all governments to agree on a single UHF band for RFID. Governments also regulate the power of the readers to limit interference with other devices. Some groups, such as the Global Commerce Initiative, are trying to encourage governments to agree on frequencies and output. Tag and reader makers are also trying to develop systems that can work at more than one frequency, in order to get around the problem.
