Smart Card

Before all this, I never really know smart card can have so many functions and it can be more complicated than just a regular storage. I guess smart card itself is really considered "smart" cause it comes with micro process and also its internal non-volatile memories storage. Other than that, it can have many applications being developed on it. Just like one of the thing I have learn today. 

Previously, I always think that Smart card is just like Mifare, but when really take a closer look at it, smart card is way more advance and smarter than Mifare. May be the Mifare I am is the "dumb" type but nonetheless, previously our Mifare implementation is straight forward, just to previous data storage, read, write and edit it using all PC Base software. So it means all the functions are programmed in PC , and the end result is stored inside the Mifare. That's how we do it, and we always find it nothing too special compare to some temporary storage.

But with today Java Card and JCOPS trainings, I found that smart card can install Java Card application inside it, which means, after the smart card is being issued, we can use Java to reprogram how the Smart card should behave and how it communicates with the PC. It goes back to the time when we need a MCU to talk to our RS232 and Mifare reader, is the same methodologies just this is more organized and simplified. 

Nonetheless, is great to know all this Smart card stuff and start the development of my smart card project. Really great to know all these technical stuff. Here is some pictures of our Smart Card Chips before we sent it out for manufacturing, you know this thing is really small in size, consists of 1 microprocessor, 100k of EEPROM and RAM, another 32k of ROM, if i am not mistaken. but usable EEPROM is 72k after filling in with OS and some Java VM. What I am holding is a 20 pieces of Smart Card Chip. And IS CHEAP.

The gold color side is the front side of smart card chip that you all usually see, the darker side is actually the back of the smart chip, it can link to an antenna to become contactless smart card. and the microprocessor and everything is so small, like a small square box.