A Brief Look at Mifare Cards

Mifare Cards are a well known brand of smart cards or contactless smart cards. Owned by NXP Semiconductors, the Mifare cards are used for a wide range of applications such as Loyalty programs, Access systems to office buildings, hotel rooms and personal computers, creating smart electronic identity systems for secure identification, gaming and smart media/consumer interactions.

The Mifare cards come in different variations and all of them comply with the ISO/IEC 14443, a globally accepted four-part standard that is used for the contactless smart cards that operate at 13.56 MHz while in a close proximity with reader antenna. Mifare cards, much like the proximity integrated circuit cards operate within a distance of approximately 10 centimetres from the reader antenna. The Mifare system typically has two parts, i.e. an antenna for transmission or sending and receiving of data or information as signals and an IC or integrated circuit that stores and processes information. The IC consists of a memory which is further divided into blocks and segments with enhanced security mechanisms for aiding access control. 

While using the card, a user is needed to present the Mifare card close to the Mifare reader at a distance not more than 10 cm. This helps to establish a connection between the reader and the card. The card then sends a code which helps to identify the type of the card that is selected. Specialised encryption is used for aiding communication between the card and reader.

There are currently numerous different types of Mifare cards that are available in the market. These include Mifare Classic, Mifare DESFire, Mifare Ultralight, Mifare Ultralight C, Mifare DESFire EV1 and Mifare Plus. All of these cards pass the highest quality parameters and are known for their excellent performance.