Showing posts with label 13.56 MHz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 13.56 MHz. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

6 Communication Protocols Used by IoT

6 Communication Protocols Used by IoT 

The Internet of Things (IoT), is based on the networking of things. In a nutshell, Internet of Things is defined as a “proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.”

The most important thing here is connectivity among objects.

Research companies like Gartner have predicted that Internet of Things will grow to 26 billion units in 2020. How will the devices be connected and what would communication be like? How will wireless communication protocols evolve?

We can boil down the wireless communication protocols into the following 6 standards:

1.   Satellite

2.   Wi-Fi

3.   Radio Frequency (RF)

4.   RFID

5.   Bluetooth

6.   NFC

In the following paragraphs, we will provide a brief overview and illustration of each of the Internet of Things communication techniques, their pros and cons, and their smartphone compatibilities.

1. Satellite

Satellite communications enable cell phone communication from a phone to the next antenna of about 10 to 15 miles. They are called GSM, GPRS, CDMA, GPRS, 2G / GSM, 3G, 4G / LTE, EDGE, and others based on connectivity speed.

In the Internet of Things language, this form of communication is mostly referred to as “M2M” (Machine-to-Machine) because it allows devices such as a phone to send and receive data through the cell network.

Pros and Cons of Satellite Communication

Pros:

·        Stable connection

·        Universal compatibility

Cons:

·        No direct communication from smartphone to the device (It has to go through satellite)

·        High monthly cost

·        High power consumption

Examples of satellite connectivity would include utility meters that send data to a remote server, commercials updated on digital billboards, or cars via Internet connectivity.

Satellite is useful for communication that utilizes low data volumes, mainly for industrial purposes but in the changing near future where the cost of satellite communication is gradually falling, the use of satellite technology might become much more viable and interesting for consumers.

2. WiFi

WiFi is a wireless local area network (WLAN) that utilizes the IEEE 802.11 standard through 2.4GhZ UHF and 5GhZ ISM frequencies. WiFi provides Internet access to devices that are within the range (about 66 feet from the access point).

Pros and Cons of WiFi

Pros:

·        Universal smartphone compatibility

·        Affordable

·        Well protected and controlled

Cons:

·        Relatively high power usage

·        Instability and inconsistency of WiFi

An example of WiFi connectivity would be Dropcam streaming live video via the local WiFi instead of streaming through a connected Ethernet LAN cable. WiFi is useful for many Internet of Things connections but such connections typically connect to an external cloud-server and are not directly connected to the smartphone. It is also not recommended for battery-powered devices due to its relatively high power consumption.

3. Radio Frequency (RF)

Radio frequency communications are probably the easiest form of communication between devices. Protocols like ZigBee or ZWave use a low-power RF radio embedded or retrofitted into electronic devices and systems.

Z-Wave’s range is approximately 100 ft (30 m). The radio frequency band used is specific to its country. For example, Europe has an 868.42 MHz SRD Band, a 900 MHz ISM or 908.42 MHz band (United States), a 916 MHz in Israel, 919.82 MHz in Hong Kong, 921.42 MHz in the regions of Australia/New Zealand) and 865.2 Mhz in India.

ZigBee is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. However, its low power consumption limits transmission distances to a range of 10 to 100 meters.

Pros and Cons of Radio Frequency

Pros:

Low energy and simplicity for its technology is not dependent on the new functionality of phones

Cons:

Radio frequency technology is not used by smartphones and without a central hub to connect the RF devices to the internet, the devices cannot be connected

An example of radio frequency connectivity would be your typical television remote for it uses radio frequency, which enables you to switch channels remotely. Other examples include wireless light switches, electrical meters with in-home displays, traffic management systems, and other consumer and industrial equipment that requires short-range low-rate wireless data transfer.

Radio frequency communication protocol is useful for large deployments such as hotels where a high quantity of devices are required to be centrally and locally managed. However, in the near future, the technology might become increasingly outdated and be replaced by Bluetooth mesh networks.

4. RFID

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to identify objects. Usually, you would install an active reader, or reading tags that contain a stored information mostly authentication replies. Experts call that an Active Reader Passive Tag (ARPT) system. Short-range RFID is about 10cm, but long-range can go up to 200m. What many do not know is that Léon Theremin invented the RFID as an espionage tool for the Soviet Union in 1945.

An Active Reader Active Tag (ARAT) system uses active tags awoken with an interrogator signal from the active reader. Bands RFID runs on: 120–150 kHz (10cm), 3.56 MHz (10cm-1m), 433 MHz (1-100m), 865-868 MHz (Europe), 902-928 MHz (North America) (1-12m).

Pros and Cons of RFID

Pros:

Does not require power

Established and widely used technology

Cons:

Highly insecure

Ongoing cost per card

Tags need to be present as identifier and be handed over before

Not compatible with smartphones

Examples include animal identification, factory data collection, road tolls, and building access. An RFID tag is also attached to an inventory such that its production and manufacturing progress can be tracked through the assembly line. As an illustration, pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses. We believe RFID technology will very soon be replaced by near-field communication (NFC) technology in smartphones.

5. Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz). If you look at the frequencies it is actually the same as WiFi such that these two technologies seem very similar. However, they have different uses. The 3 different styles of Bluetooth technology that are commonly talked about are:

Bluetooth: Remember the days where you associate Bluetooth as a battery drainer and black hole? Such Bluetooth is a heyday relic of a mobile past marked by a bulky cell phone. Such Bluetooth technology is battery draining, insecure, and are often complicated to pair.

BLE (Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth Low Energy): Originally introduced by Nokia and presently used by all major operating systems such as iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, OS X, Linux, and Windows 8, BLE uses fast, low energy usage while maintaining the communication range.

iBeacon: It is the trademark for a simplified communication technique based on Bluetooth technology that Apple uses. What it actually is: a Bluetooth 4.0 sender that transmits an ID called UUID, which is recognized by your iPhone. This simplifies the implementation effort many vendors would previously face. Moreover, even non-technically trained consumers can easily use iBeacons like Estimote.com or other alternatives. Although different on a technical level, iBeacon technology can be compared to NFC on an abstract level.

Bluetooth exists in many products, such as telephones, tablets, media players, robotics systems. The technology is extremely useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other in low-bandwidth situations. Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with telephones (i.e., with a Bluetooth headset) or byte data with hand-held computers (transferring files). Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices. Bluetooth devices can advertise all of the services they provide. This makes using services easier because relative to other communication protocols, it enables greater automation such as security, the network address, and permission configuration.

Comparison of Wifi & Bluetooth

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are to some extent complementary in their applications and usage.

Wi-Fi

·        Access point centered, with an asymmetrical client-server connection where it provides all traffic routed through the access point.

·        ‍Serves well in applications where some degree of client configuration is possible and high speeds are required e.g. network access through an access node

·        ‍Ad-hoc connections are possible with WiFi but not as easily with Bluetooth for Wi-Fi Direct was recently developed to add a more Bluetooth-like ad-hoc functionality

Bluetooth

·        ‍Symmetrical between two Bluetooth devices

·        ‍Serves well in simple applications where two devices are needed to connect with minimal configuratione.g. headsets and remote controls

·        ‍Bluetooth access points do exist although they are not common

Any Bluetooth device in discoverable mode transmits the following information on-demand:

·        Device name

·        Device class

·        List of services

·        Technical information (for example device features, manufacturer, Bluetooth specification used, clock offset)

Pros & Cons of Bluetooth

Pros:

·        Every smartphone has Bluetooth where the technology is continuously being upgraded and improved through new hardware

·        Established and widely used technology

Cons:

·        Hardware capabilities change very fast and will need to be replaced

·        Running on battery the lifetime of an iBeacon is between 1month to 2 years

·        If people switch off Bluetooth, there are issues in usage.

Bluetooth technology mainly finds applications in the healthcare, fitness, beacons, security, and home entertainment industries.

Bluetooth technology is definitely the hottest technology right now but it is many times overrated or misunderstood in functionality. If the application goes beyond fun you will have to dig deep in configuration and different settings as different phones react differently to Bluetooth.

6. Near Field Communication (NFC)

Near-field communication uses electromagnetic induction between two loop antennas located within each other’s near field, effectively forming an air-core transformer. It operates within the globally available and unlicensed radio frequency ISM band of 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface and at rates ranging from 106 kbit/s to 424 kbit/s. NFC involves an initiator and a target; the initiator actively generates an RF field that can power a passive target (an unpowered chip called a “tag”). This enables NFC targets to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or battery-less cards. NFC peer-to-peer communication is possible provided both devices are powered.

There are two modes:

Passive communication mode: The initiator device provides a carrier field and the target device answers by modulating the existing field. In this mode, the target device may draw its operating power from the initiator-provided electromagnetic field, thus making the target device a transponder.

Active communication mode: Both initiator and target device communicate by alternately generating their own fields. A device deactivates its RF field while it is waiting for data. In this mode, both devices typically have power supplies.

Pros & Cons of NFC

Pros:

·        Offers a low-speed connection with an extremely simple setup

·        Can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections

·        NFC has a short-range and supports encryption where it may be more suitable than earlier, less private RFID systems

Cons:

·        Short-range might not be feasible in many situations for it is currently only available on new Android Phones and at Apple Pay on new iPhones

Comparison of BLE to NFC

BLE and NFC are both short-range communication technologies that are integrated into mobile phones.

Speed: BLE is faster

Transfer: BLE has a higher transfer rate

Power: NFC consumes less power

Pairing: NFC does not require pairing

Time: NFC takes less time to set up

Connection: Automatically established for NFC

Data transfer rate: Max rate for BLE is 2.1 Mbits/s, max rate for NFC is 424 kbits/s.

(NFC has a shortage range, a distance of 20cm, which reduces the likelihood of unwanted interception hence it is particularly suitable for crowded areas where correlating a signal with its transmitting physical device becomes difficult.)

Compatibility: NFC is compatible with existing passive RFID (13.56 MHz ISO/IEC 18000-3) infrastructures

Energy protocol: NFC requires comparatively low power

Powered device: NFC works with an unpowered device.

NFC devices can be used in contactless payment systems, similar to those currently used in credit cards and electronic ticket smartcards, and it allows mobile payment to replace or supplement these systems.

We believe that NFC will definitely replace the more insecure and outdated RFID cars where its use on smartphones will be limited to contact-only applications like payment, access, or identification.

Conclusion: And the IoT Winner Is?

It is very likely that the winner of these standards will be one that is available in many of the new devices and phones – otherwise, people would not use it. Today every smartphone has Bluetooth and WiFi. However, NFC is increasingly being implemented in new phones.

From our experience, a clear Internet of Things winner emerges when you have a very defined use-case. For example, if you’d like to transfer large amounts of files, WiFi is ideal. If you’d like to react on transient passengers, nothing tops Bluetooth. If you want quick, short-range interaction, NFC might be for you. Henceforth, the winning communication protocol really depends on your goals and your clearly defined use-case.

There will be many more providers of different standards – especially mesh-networked technologies such as GoTenna or mesh networked iBeacons.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

HID Proximity Cards Programming

HID Proximity Cards Programming

Proximity cards, also known as Prox cards or access control cards, are contactless ID cards or keyfobs containing programming that is “read” by a card reader to control and secure physical access.
Inside each card or keyfob is an integrated circuit containing specific numerical programming and a coiled antenna, which increases the range at which the card can be read.  Prox cards have no internal power source, so there are never any batteries to replace.

Below checklist highlights your most important considerations when ordering and programming HID prox cards.
Programming
______ Will program – have HID Prox programming equipment on site
______ Need programming completed with order (See the three programming considerations below)
1.   Formatting
_____ Standard 26-bit format (Can be ordered directly online)
_____  HID Prox or HID iClass Format (H10301)
_____  Indala Flex Format (40134)
_____  Indala Casi-Rusco Format (C10106)
_____ Custom format (Contact HID or your authorized expert)

Note: The programming format for your HID prox card is determined by your card reader’s system requirements. If you are reordering, you can look at the end label of the last order’s shipping box for the code. The most common is a 26-bit format indicated by code H10301.

2.   Facility/Site Code
_____ Not required – Generic code is fine for our facility
_____ Required – We have a specific protocol for specifying facility codes
_____ Required – Customize new cards must have the same facility code.

Know more ? Click on http://arindamcctvaccesscontrol.blogspot.com/2016/08/facility-code-or-site-code.html
3.   Starting Card Number
_____ No external card numbering needed
_____ Sequential card numbering is needed:
_____  External only
_____  Matching internal/external
_____  Matching internal/non-matching external
_____  Random internal/non-matching sequential external
Note: It is important that you do not overlap card numbering ranges if you have only one facility code. If you have multiple facility codes, it is possible to use the same card number ranges in each facility, as each card reader uses a combined facility code and card number for access control.

Frequency
_____ Low Frequency (125 kHz) HID Prox / Indala Flex / Indala Casi-Rusco
_____ High Frequency (13.56 MHz) HID iClass
Front Packaging/Graphics
_____ HID Standard Artwork
_____ Plain White
_____ Custom Artwork* – Specify Custom Artwork Number
Back Packaging/Graphics
_____ HID Standard Logo
_____ Plain White
_____ Custom Artwork* – Specify Custom Artwork Number
Slot Punch
_____ No Slot Punch (Printed location of vertical and horizontal slot punch will remain)
_____ Vertical Slot Punch (Printed location of horizontal slot punch will remain)
_____ Horizontal Slot Punch (Printed location of vertical slot punch will remain)
*Custom Artwork
You can add custom artwork to your HID Prox Cards by contacting HID or your authorized ID card Expert.
Just remember any configuration is possible, and we are always standing by to walk you through the ordering process. 
Step 1 – Find the Right HID Prox Format and Part Number

HID manufacturers a number of credential formats. The type of HID credential you use will depend on your access control system. So your first step in finding the right credential is to check your HID System, which should specify the correct prox format.
HID assigns a Format code to each Prox Card that indicates how the internal programming of your cards will be read and is determined by your card reader system requirements. This code can be found on the end label of the box in which the cards are shipped to you. Look at your existing box if you are unsure about your format, because it is important to know which format is required by your system.
For example, the standard HID Prox format is 26-bit indicated by code H10301. Some formats are considered proprietary by HID and can only be ordered offline by contacting HID or your authorized ID card Expert.

Reordering Tip & Cheat Sheet
Reordering credentials? Check the box label from your original credentials or the actual credential itself. Then use the base part number to find your prox card or fob.
Step 2 – Specify Your Programming Information
After determining the correct base part number, choose your programming specifications. Each HID prox card not only includes the base part number, but also a series of letters to indicate a Credential’s appearance options (e.g., LGSMV).
When ordering, your HID prox card or keyfob will have a combination of the following information. Each prox card may have slightly different options, but the key categories remain the same.
Base Part Number
(1326, 1386, 2020, 2050, 1536, 1586, etc)
Programming/Frequency
L – Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz) HID. Programming information is specified at time of order.
C – Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz) Casi Rusco Format. (Not commonly ordered) Programming information is specified at time of order.
N – Non-Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz). Programming information NOT required – only for locations with HID Prox programming equipment on site (Not common)*
*Note: Only large organizations that have HID Programming capabilities should order non-programmed cards. Many customers confuse the process of synching your new credentials to your system with ‘programming’ them.

Front Packaging/Graphics
S – HID Standard Artwork – Vinyl with Matte Finish
M – Plain White Vinyl with Matte Finish
G – Plain White PVC with Gloss Finish
A – ProxCard II with Adhesive Front (Only HID 1326 Cards)
B – Black with HID Standard Artwork (Only HID 1391 Prox Patch)
K – Plain Black Finish, (No Artwork) (Only HID 1391 Prox Patch)
G – Plain Gray Finish, (No Artwork) (Only HID 1391 Prox Patch)
C – Custom Artwork – Specify Custom Artwork Number
Back Packaging/Graphics
S – HID Standard Logo
G – Plain White PVC with Gloss Finish
C – Custom Artwork – Specify Custom Artwork Number2
Card Numbering
M – Sequential Matching Internal/External (Printed)
N – No External Card Numbering
S – Sequential Internal/Sequential Non-Matching External (Printed)
R – Random Internal/Non-Matching Sequential External (Printed)
O – Sequential External Only (Printed)
A – Sequential Matching Internal/External (Engraved)
B – Sequential Internal/Sequential Non-Matching External (Engraved)
C – Random Internal/Non-Matching Sequential External (Engraved)

Slot Punch
N – No Slot Punch (Printed location of vertical and horizontal slot punch will remain)
V – Vertical Slot Punch (Printed location of horizontal slot punch will remain)
H – Horizontal Slot Punch (Printed location of vertical slot punch will remain)
Custom Artwork
You can add custom artwork to your HID Prox Cards by contacting one of HID member

Step 3: Choose Your Card Range and Facility Code
Facility Code – also sometimes called “Site Code”, this is part of the internal programming that is common to all cards on an order. Your organization may or may not have a specific protocol for specifying facility code, either by location (as I know e.g. Code 50 for a New York office and code 80 for Los Angeles) or other variable. Because most systems generally accommodate multiple facility codes – and read both the facility code and card number to validate a card – it is typically not a requirement that the facility code be the same as your existing cards for them to be read correctly.
Starting Card Range Number – this is the specific internal card number that is uniquely programmed into each card issued by HID.  The cards are programmed with sequential numbering based on the starting number you specify.  It is important that you do not overlap card ranges.  If two cards are identically programmed, your system will not be able to distinguish between them.  It is possible to use the same card range if you are using multiple facility codes (see above), because each card reader uses the combined facility code and card number for access control.
Step 4: Choose Between Pre-Selected or Custom Programming
·         Pre-Selected Programming – These credentials contain default programming numbers that are pre-determined by HID. They can be ordered in small quantities, usually ship within 1-2 business days, and offer the same security as custom-programmed credentials.
·         Custom Programming – Custom credentials contain personalized facility codes and/or sequential card numbers. Custom Facility Codes must be between 1-255, and Card Numbers between 1-65,500. Custom programmed credentials must be ordered in quantities of 100 or more and take up to 10 days to ship.

Example Final Part Number for HID Prox Card 1326LGSMV
For this sample order of an HID Prox Card 1326, the card appearance options (LGSMV) break down as follows:
L = Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz) HID. Programming information is specified at time of order.
G = Plain White PVC with Gloss Finish on front
S = Base with Molded HID Logo
M = Sequential Matching Internal/External (Printed)
V = Vertical Slot Punch.

Other HID 1326 Prox Card Configurations
Examples of other HID 1326 card appearance configurations are:
Final Part Number: 1326LGSNV
L = Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz) HID. Programming information is specified at time of order.
G = Plain White PVC with Gloss Finish on front
S = Base with Molded HID Logo
N = No External Card Numbering
V = Vertical Slot Punch
Final Part Number: 1326LSSMV
L = Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz) HID. Programming information is specified at time of order.
S = ProxCard II Artwork – Vinyl with Matte Finish
S = Base with Molded HID Logo
M = Sequential Matching Internal/External (Printed)
V = Vertical Slot Punch
Final Part Number: 1326LSSNV
L = Programmed, Low Frequency (125 kHz) HID. Programming information is specified at time of order.
S = ProxCard II Artwork – Vinyl with Matte Finish
S = Base with Molded HID Logo
N = No External Card Numbering
V = Vertical Slot Punch

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Smart Card Standards

Smart Card Standards

Smart cards have the further advantage over magnetic stripe cards of being reloadable, and allowing advanced features like phone banking, automatic memory dialing and on-line services. Smart cards are used as identification device for GSM digital mobile phonesPrimarily, smart card standards govern physical properties, communication characteristics, and application identifiers of the embedded chip and data. Almost all standards refer to the ISO 7816-1,2 & 3 as a base reference.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
The ISO facilitates the creation of voluntary standards through a process that is open to all parties. ISO 7816 is the international standard for integrated-circuit cards (commonly known as smart cards) that use electrical contacts on the card, as well as cards that communicate with readers and terminals without contacts, as with radio frequency (RF/Contactless) technology. Anyone interested in obtaining a technical understanding of smart cards needs to become familiar with what ISO 7816 and 14443 does NOT cover as well as what it does. Copies of these standards can be purchased through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Copies of ISO standards are for sale on the ISO website.
Application-specific properties are being debated with many large organizations and groups proposing their standards. Open system card interoperability should apply at several levels:
1). To the card itself,
2). The card's access terminals (readers),
3). The networks and
4). The card issuers' own systems. Open system card interoperability will only be achieved by conformance to international standards.
This site's sponsors are committed to compliance with ISO and ITSEC security standards as well as industry initiatives such as EMV, MULTOS, the Open Card Framework and PC/SC specifications.
This site's sponsors are committed to compliance with ISO and ITSEC security standards as well as industry initiatives such as EMV, the Global Platform and PC/SC specifications.
These organizations are active in smart card standardization: The following standards and the organizations that maintain them are the most prevalent in the smart card industry:
ISO/IEC is one of the worldwide standard-setting bodies for technology, including plastic cards. The primary standards for smart cards are ISO/IEC 7816ISO/IEC 14443ISO/IEC 15693 and ISO/IEC 7501.
ISO/IEC 7816
ISO/IEC 7816 is a multi-part international standard broken into fourteen parts. ISO/IEC 7816 Parts 1, 2 and 3 deal only with contact smart cards and define the various aspects of the card and its interfaces, including the card’s physical dimensions, the electrical interface and the communications protocols. ISO/IEC 7816 Parts 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 15 are relevant to all types of smart cards (contact as well as contactless). They define the card logical structure (files and data elements), various commands used by the application programming interface for basic use, application management, biometric verification, cryptographic services and application naming. ISO/IEC 7816 Part 10 is used by memory cards for applications such as pre-paid telephone cards or vending machines. ISO/IEC 7816 Part 7 defines a secure relational database approach for smart cards based on the SQL interfaces (SCQL).
ISO/IEC 14443
ISO/IEC 14443 is an international standard that defines the interfaces to a "close proximity" contactless smart card, including the radio frequency (RF) interface, the electrical interface, and the communications and anti-collision protocols. ISO/IEC 14443 compliant cards operate at 13.56 MHz and have an operational range of up to 10 centimeters (3.94 inches). ISO/IEC 14443 is the primary contactless smart card standard being used for transit, financial, and access control applications. It is also used in electronic passports and in the FIPS 201 PIV card.
ISO/IEC 15693
ISO/IEC 15693 describes standards for "vicinity" cards. Specifically, it establishes standards for the physical characteristics, radio frequency power and signal interface, and anti-collision and transmission protocol for vicinity cards that operate to a maximum of 1 meter (approximately 3.3 feet).
ISO/IEC 7501 describes standards for machine-readable travel documents and has made a clear recommendation on smart card topology.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
ICAO issues guidance on the standardization and specifications for Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD) such as passports, visas, and travel documents. ICAO has published the specification for electronic passports using a contactless smart chip to securely store traveler data.
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
FIPS, developed by the Computer Security Division within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). FIPS standards are designed to protect federal assets, including computer and telecommunications systems. The following FIPS standards apply to smart card technology and pertain to digital signature standards, advanced encryption standards, and security requirements for cryptographic modules.
FIPS 140 (1-3)
The security requirements contained in FIPS 140 (1-3) pertain to areas related to the secure design and implementation of a cryptographic module, specifically: cryptographic module specification; cryptographic module ports and interfaces; roles, services, and authentication; finite state model; physical security; operational environment; cryptographic key management; electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC); self-tests; design assurance; and mitigation of other attacks.
FIPS 201
This specification covers all aspects of multifunction cards used in identity management systems throughout the U.S. government.
Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV)
Europay, MasterCard, and Visa formed EMV Company, LLC and created the "Integrated Circuit Card Specifications for Payment Systems". These specifications are related to ISO7816 and create a common technical basis for card and system implementation of a stored value system. Integrated Circuit Card Specifications for Payment Systems can be obtained from a Visa, MasterCard or Europay member bank.
PC/SC
A globally implemented standard for cards and readers, called the PC/SC specification. This standard only applies to CPU contact cards. Version 2.0 also dictates PIN pad to card communications. Apple, Oracle-Sun, Linux and Microsoft all support this standard.
Microsoft has built PC/SC into their smart card services as a framework that supports many security mechanisms for cards and systems. PC/SC is now a fairly common middleware interface for PC logon applications. The standard is a highly abstracted set of middleware components that allow for the most common reader card interactions.
Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN) and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
CEN and ETSI focus on telecommunications, as with the GSM SIM for cellular telephones. GSM 11.11 and ETSI300045. CEN can be contacted at Rue de Stassart, 36 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium, attention to the Central Secretariat.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
HIPAA adopts national standards for implementing a secure electronic health transaction system in the U.S. Example transactions affected by this include claims, enrollment, eligibility, payment and coordination of benefits. Smart cards are governed by the requirements of HIPAA pertaining to data security and patient privacy.
IC Communications Standards
The IC Communications Standards existed for non-volatile memories before the chips were adopted for smart card use. This specifically applies to the I2C and SPI EEPROM interfaces.
Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)
The GSM standard is dominant in the cell phone industry and uses smart cards called Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) that are configured with information essential to authenticating a GSM-compliant mobile phone, thus allowing a phone to receive service whenever the phone is within coverage of a suitable network. This standard is managed by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute. The two most common standards for cards are 11.11 and 11.14.
OpenCardT Framework
The OpenCardT framework is an obsolete standard. The following data is for informative purposes only.
The OpenCard framework was a set of guidelines announced by IBM, Netscape, NCI, and Sun Microsystems for integrating smart cards with network computers. The guidelines were based on open standards and provided an architecture and a set of application program interfaces (APIs) that enable application developers and service providers to build and deploy smart card solutions on any OpenCard-compliant network computer. Through the use of a smart card, an OpenCard-compliant system should have enabled access to personalized data and services from any network computer and dynamically download from the Internet all device drivers that are necessary to communicate with the smart card. By providing a high-level interface which can support multiple smart card types, the OpenCard Framework was intended to enable vendor-independent card interoperability. The system incorporated Public Key Cryptography Standard (PKCS) - 11 and was supposed to be expandable to include other public key mechanisms.
GlobalPlatform (GP)
GlobalPlatform is an international, non-profit association. Its mission is to establish, maintain and drive adoption of standards to enable an open and interoperable infrastructure for smart cards, devices and systems that simplifies and accelerates development, deployment and management of applications across industries. The GP standard has been adopted by virtually all the banks worldwide for JavaCard®-based loading of cryptographic data. The standard establishes mechanisms and policies that enable secure channel communications with a credential.
Common Criteria (CC)
Common Criteria is an internationally approved security evaluation framework providing a clear and reliable evaluation of the security capabilities of IT products, including secure ICs, smart card operating systems, and application software. CC provides an independent assessment of a product's ability to meet security standards. Security-conscious customers, such as national governments, are increasingly requiring CC certification in making purchasing decisions. Since the requirements for certification are clearly established, vendors can target very specific security needs while providing broad product offerings.
Smart Card Links

ACT Canada – Advanced Card Technology Association of Canada.
EuroSmart – European Smart Card Association. Great resource.
JavaCard Forum – Promotes Java for multiple-application smart cards. 
MULTOS – First open, Multiple-application OS for highest security. 
MUSCLE – Smart cards in a Linux environment. PCSC lite.
HID Global– OMNIKEY Smart card reader and chipset manufacturer, maker of HID Prox and iCLASS cards 
P
ACSprobe – Software to read PACS data (card number, facility code ..)
PCSC Workgroup – Standard for integrating smart cards and smart card readers.
Smart Card Alliance – Promotes smart card technology.

Biometric Standards
Many new secure ID system implementations are using both biometrics and smart cards to improve the security and privacy of an ID system.
ANSI-INCITS 358-2002
ANSI-INCITS 358-2002, BioAPI Specification - (ISO/IEC 19784-1). BioAPI is intended to provide a high-level generic biometric authentication model-one suited for any form of biometric technology. It covers the basic functions of enrollment, verification, and identification, and includes a database interface to allow a biometric service provider (BSP) to manage the technology device and identification population for optimum performance. It also provides primitives that allow the application to separately manage the capture of samples on a client workstation, and the enrollment, verification, and identification functions on a server. The BioAPI framework has been ported to Win32, Linux, UNIX, and WinCE. Note that BioAPI is not optimum for a microcontroller environment such as might be embedded within a door access control reader unit or within a smart card processor. BioAPI is more suitable when there is a general-purpose computer available.
ANSI-INCITS 398
ANSI-INCITS 398, Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF) - (ISO/IEC 19785-1). The Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF) describes a set of data elements necessary to support biometric technologies and exchange data in a common way. These data can be placed in a single file used to exchange biometric information between different system components or between systems. The result promotes interoperability of biometric-based application programs and systems developed by different vendors by allowing biometric data interchange. This specification is a revised (and augmented) version of the original CBEFF, the Common Biometric Exchange File Format, originally published as NISTIR 6529.
ANSI-INCITS
ANSI-INCITS Biometric Data Format Interchange Standards. ANSI-INCITS has created a series of standards specifying the interchange format for the exchange of biometric data. These standards specify a data record interchange format for storing, recording, and transmitting the information from a biometric sample within a CBEFF data structure. The ANSI-INCITS published data interchange standards are shown below. There are ISO equivalents to each standard listed here.
ANSI-INCITS 377-2004
Finger Pattern Based Interchange Format
ANSI-INCITS 378-2004
Finger Minutiae Format for Data Interchange
ANSI-INCITS 379-2004
Iris Interchange Format
ANSI-INCITS 381-2004
Finger Image Based Interchange Format
ANSI-INCITS 385-2004
Face Recognition Format for Data Interchange
ANSI-INCITS 395-2005
Signature/Sign Image Based Interchange Format
ANSI-INCITS 396-2004
Hand Geometry Interchange Format
ISO/IEC 19794

ISO/IEC 19794 series on biometric data interchange formats. Part 1 is the framework, Part 2 defines the finger minutiae data, Part 3 defines the finger pattern spectral data, Part 4 defines the finger image data, Part 5 defines the face image data, Part 6 defines the iris image data, and still in development, Part 7 will define the signature/sign time series data, Part 8 will define the finger pattern skeletal data and Part 8 will define the vascular image data.