Smart Card Readers - An Essential Part of Every Smart Card System
Smart chip card readers are sophisticated devices with built-in intelligence. Smart card readers are found in PCs, Notebooks, Servers, smart phones, Set-Top-Boxes. Some readers come with integrated secure PIN pads, displays, or fingerprint sensors. This allows multi-factor authentication for secure logical access control. Combining smart cards with biometrics can make smart cards even more convenient and secure because instead of entering a PIN, a biometric credential is used to access the smart card system.
Here are some state-of-the-art smart card readers we are using in our projects:
| Smart Card Readers | Examples of HID OMNIKEY Smart Card Readers |
Smart card readers are becoming increasingly prevalent. Smart card readers are also known as card readers, smart card programmers, card terminals, card acceptance devices (CAD), or interface devices (IFD). . |
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The most common smart card readers read ISO 7816 compliant cards. These are credit card-sized smart cards with contacts. Smart card readers are used to read data from and write data to smartcards. Card readers can easily be integrated into a PC running Windows. |  Desktop Smart Card Reader |
Some computer systems come already equipped with a built-in smart card reader. As contactless smart cards are being deployed in more places, smart card readers that support ISO 14443 and ISO 15693 contactless cards are becoming more prevalent. |
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| Smart card readers will soon be an integral part of any standard PC. However, currently you still need to connect a reader as peripheral device – CCID compliant I/O over USB port is the most commonly used connection. |
USB CCID Smart Card Reader for |
Smart card readers are used as smart card programmers to configure and personalize integrated circuit cards. This means that not only CPU-based smart cards, but also simple memory cards, can be programmed using a smart card reader. (Of course, the card reader must support the appropriate protocol such as the asynchronous T=0, T=1 or synchronous I2C protocols.) |  Dual interface Smart Card Reader contact and contactless cards |
Smart card readers can also be found in the form of a USB dongle – a great way to develop a hardware token and deploy reader and card in one device. USB dongles are also frequently used with GSM phones containing a SIM smart card. Phone numbers can be edited on a PC using a USB smart card dongle. |
Smart Card USB dongle – |
Smart card readers can also write to smart cards. So, when someone talks about a smart card reader they really mean a smart card reader/writer. Certain cardreaders already come with advanced security features such as secure PIN entry, secure display or even integrated fingerprint scanners for the next-generation of multi-layer security and three-factor authentication. |  PC-link Smart Card Reader for secure PIN entry |
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| Smart card readers are also available as chipsets for reader integration on board level into embedded systems such as intelligent printers, USB dongles, smart card encoders for card printers. |  |
contact us for more information about smart card readers | |
- Easy-to-use chip card integration with .NET library
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