Proximity Cards — Smarter Way to gain access

Wireless technology has taken over almost every field, ranging from internet to access control systems. It has led us to contactless smart cards, which have facilitated easier, faster and more protected access to restricted areas. In a world with countless smart-card manufacturers, HID Global’s HID prox cards have made their mark in the smart-card market. These cards are used by a number of companies and banks around the world.

Established in 1991 as a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft Company (US) to develop radio frequency identification technologies, HID Global quickly established itself as a major player in the business. It was acquired by Assa Abloy, a reputed Swedish lock company in 2001. This culminated into its foray into the smart locking business, blending HID’s wireless expertise with Assa Abloy’s locking technology.

Today, HID Global is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of proximity and contactless smart cards.

A proximity card is a magnetic card which can be read by merely placing it in front of the card reader’s sensor instead of inserting it into the reader. HID Prox Cards typically have a range up to 50 cm (about 15 inches) as compared to contactless cards with range of 2–10 cm. Proximity cards can hold only little data, as they have memory capacities in the kilobyte range. Hence they are used exclusively to store identity information in access control.

HID prox cards are of two types:

1. Passive Cards: They have a small range and frequency of 125 kHz and need to be held in front of the reader. They are generally used as keycards, public transit cards, contactless payment cards and library cards. They are powered by the reader’s radio frequency.

2. Active Cards: They have frequencies similar to passive cards (125 kHz), but have far greater range (Up to 150 meters/500 ft.). Active cards are used in long range authentication systems such as automatic tool booths and automatic opening of locked gates when a car pulls up close to it. They are powered by an internal replaceable battery.

Proximity Cards are designed as per as ISO/IEC 14443 and ISO/IEC 15693 standards. The former standard defines communication protocols up to a range of 10 cm, while the latter defines communication protocols up to a range of 100 cm; both standards are implemented on microprocessor-based cards.

Card readers used to read proximity cards use different communication protocols such as Mono and Bi directional clock and data. Early card formats were up to 64 bits long, while newer cards have increased bit sizes.