Contactless Access Credentials Guide

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on Sep 10, 2015

Few access topics are as complicated as contactless credentials. Chosing the correct one can be the difference between a secure facility and wasting big money. Understanding how they operate and what their specifications mean is a big challenge.

In this update, we cover the basic elements needed to specify the right contactless credentials everytime, including:

  • HID vs. NXP Credential Formats
  • 125 kHz vs. 13.56 MHz Frequencies
  • Facility Names
  • Facility Codes
  • Card ID/Serial Numbers
  • ISO 14443A vs. 14443B
  • Form Factors

*** ****** ****** *** ** *********** ** *********** ***********. ******* the ******* *** *** ** *** ********** ******* * ****** facility *** ******* *** *****. ************* *** **** ******* *** what ***** ************** **** ** * *** *********.

** **** ******, ** ***** *** ***** ******** ****** ** specify *** ***** *********** *********** *********, *********:

  • *** **. *** ********** *******
  • *** *** **. **.** *** ***********
  • ******** *****
  • ******** *****
  • **** **/****** *******
  • *** ****** **. ******
  • **** *******

[***************]

Credentials ********

***** ***** ********** ******* *****, *** ********** ****** *** **** 'contactless' *****. ********** *******, ****** **% ** ******* *** *********** ***** ** **** built **** ** ********* ********** **** **** ** ******* *** read **** ******* ***** ** * ****** ****. **** '******** power' ******* ** ************** ****** ********.

** ***** *** ******* ********* ** **** ** ************ ******* ********, ******* *** ****** ****** ***** * ***** ********* ** *** card, ********** ******** ****** ** * ****** **** *********** ****** a ******** **** ******** ******* *** ***.  *** ***** ***** details ******* ******** ********** ** *** ****, ***** *** **** antenna ******** ******, *** ********* ****** **, *** **** **** discharges *** **** (**********) **** **** ******* *** ******* ** the ******:

** *******, *** *********** *********** **** **** *** *** *** exact ********** **** ********* *********, **** ** ********** ****, **********, and ****** ** *** **** ******* **** ** *** *****.  In *** ******** **** ******, ** ******* ***** ********** ** depth.

Contactless *********** ********* ** ******

*** ** *** ******* *********** ** *********** *********** ** *** format ** *** **** ** ********, ********* ********** ** *** manufactured **. ******* ** ***** ******** ** *********** *********** *** ******* ********* ** ******** ** *** ****** *** *** *************.

*** ********

***** *** ****** ***** ********* **** **** '*********' *********** ** the ***** ****'*, *** ****** **** ** ********** **** **'* *** *** "****" *********. ***** ***** ********* ** **** *****, *** ******* ****** '*** *********** *****' *** * **** swath ** *** ******** ******, *** **** ******** *** ****** brands **** *****, *********, *** *******. *** *******'* ****-***** ******* include:

  • "*********": ** ***** *** *** ******, *** ***** ********* **** *** ********* **** ** *** systems
  • ******: ** *** ****** ******** **.** *** '*********'

*** ** *** **** ****** ****** *** *********** ** *** US. ******* ** ********** ****** *****, *** ** **** ** license *** *** ** *** ********** ******* ** * ******* of ********** *** ****** *************. **** **** ********* ******* '*** 14443 *********' *********, *** ******** ******* "**** *" ********* (** Part "*" - ********* ** **** ****** *****).

*** ********

******** ******** *************, ******-***** *** ****** * ****** ** '***********' ********** ********** **** ** * number ** ******* - ********, *******, *** **********. **** ********** adoption ** *** ********* ** ********** *************, *** ****** * catalog ** ***** ***** ** ****, *********:

  • ****** ****: ***'* *** *** ****** ***** ** ***** ****** ** *** *********, *** *** as ****** ******* ** ***'* "*********" *****
  • ******/*******: ** *** ********* ***** *** '*********' ******, **** ********* on **.** *** *** '*******' ******* *** ********** ** *** early ***** ** *********** *** ****** **** '****** *******' ***********. DESFire *********** ******* ******** ********** **** ******** ****** ********** *****. The '*******' ****** **** ***** ******** *** ***** ********** ** ***** *******, *** ******* ********* **** ******. ******* ***** ************ **** made **** ** ***********, *** ******** ****** ******* ***** ***** be ****, *** *** ****** ****** ***** ** '******/*******'.

****** ***, ***'* ********** ******* *** '*******-****' *** *** ********* standards *** ********* *** ********** *** *** ** ****.  *** manufacturers *** *** ***** ******* ** "**** *" *********.

US ** *** *****

******* ** *** **************'* ******** ** **** *** *** **** ** *********, ******, *******, *** *** ********** derivatives *** ******* ******* *** **.

*******, *** ******'* ********* ******* *** ** *** ********, ********** in *** **. ******* *** ********** **** ** ********* ********* *********** and *******, *** ******* **** ******** ******* **** **** *** ********** *** formats *** *** ***** ** ******* *********** ** * ******.

125 *** ** **.** ***

*** **********'* ** ********* ******* * *** **** ** *** performance. ******* ******* *** **** **** *********** ********* ** ******** matching ***********, **** ********* ** *** ***** ** ********. ** we ******* ** *** **** ****** ********, ** ********* *** ****** **** *** *****, *********** *** ****** not ****. *** ***** ***** ***** *** ********* ** ******* formats:

******* *** ******* ********** ******* *** *** *** **.** *** *********** is ********** ********.  **** ** ********* ** *** **** **. ****** ********* ****, *** *** ******* ** *** ******* ********** *** *** be ******* ** *******.  *******, **.** *** ******* *** ********* (usually *** *** *** ** *******) *** ********** **** *** only ** **** ** * ****** ************ ***** *** *** to ** **.

Deciphering ********** *****

*** ** *** **** *********** **** *** *********** *** *** users ***** ** ****** *********** ***** ********** * ****** ** using. *** ****** ** ******* **** ******** ** ******* **** no ********** ** ************* *** ***** **** *** ****** ** be * ***** ***** ****. *** ***** ***** ******* **** different ********** ***** **** ************ ********* *********** *** ******** ***************, yet **** *** **** *** **** ** *** ********* ***:

*** *********** *****, *** **** **** ***** **********:

  • ****** ****:**** ********** *** *** *** **** **** *** ********** *********, usually ******* ** ** *** ******** *** ******* *******. *** example ****** ** *** ******* ** *** ******, ****** ** HID's ******* ** ***, *** ** **. *** **** *** to ******* *** ****** **** ** * **** ** ** locate * *** ***** ** ******** *****, ** ***** ****** ********** (*****'* ******* ******) ** ********* *** *** *********** ****** ** a ******** ******.  
  • ******** ****: **** ********* ** *** ******* ** *** **** ** most *****. **** ***** ** *********** ** **** ********* ***** on *** ******, *** *** ** ****** ***** *** **** online *********** *** ****** ****.  ** ******* *****, ****** ******* must ** ********** ** ****** ******** ******** ***** *** **** low-end ******* *** ***** ********** ***** ** *** ******** ******.  Without ******* **** ****, *********** *** *** **** ** ****.
  • **** ** ******: ** **** *****, *** ** ****** ** ******** ** printed ** *** ****. **** ****** ** *** '****** **' that **** * **** ** * ******** *****. ***** ********** numbers *** *** ** *****, ********* ******* ***, *** *** same **** ** *** ******** ***** ********** ****** ** ****** twice ** *** **** ******.

** **** *****, * **** ****** ** *********** **** '****' an ******* **** *** * ***, *** **** ****** ***** are *** ******* *** *** **** ******* ******** ****.

** ********* *****, * *** ***** ** ***** ********* ** production *** ** ***** *** ********, ******* *** ** ****** all ***** ****** ** **** ***********, ** *** * ********** part ******:

The ***/*** ***** ********

**** ****** ********* ***'* ****** **** ***'* ****** *********, *** ** *** *** ********* ************** of ** *** ********, **** ***** '****' *** **** ** most *******. *******, ******* ***** ******** ** *** ******** **** room *** ***************, *** *** *** ******** ***** '*********' ********* with * ********* ********** *********.

*** *** ****** ** **** ** **** ******** ** ********** claim '*** ***** **********', *** *** *** ******** ***************. ** ********* **** **********, ISO ******* ***** ** ******* ***** '* ***/** *' ** ********* *** *** *********. **** ******* ** these ***** *** ******** ****** '*****', *** *** ******* **** is ********** ******* *** ***.

** *******, ******* ***** ** ** ********* **** ** ***** 'Part *' *********, **** ***-**** *** *** ******** ***** ****.

 

*********, ******* ******** ************ ** *** ** ** **** ******* with * ******* ****** ****** ******* *** ** '**** *' compliance **** ***:

*******, *********** ***** '*****' * ****** ** ********** ** ********* with ** *** ****** ******, *** ********** * ******** *****/**** of ********** *** ** **** ** ********.

Smartcard ****************

***** *** '**** * & *' ******** ** *** ***** separates ******* **** ***** *** ****, ** **** *** ****** mean **** *** ******** **** **** *****. ******** ** *** 14443 *** *** **** ** **** *****, ********* *** '**** Serial ******'. *** **** ****** *******, **** ** *** ****** number **** ********** ****** *****, *** ******* **** ****** ** not *******, ** **** ******** ** '*** ********' *******:

  • ***/*** ******: *********** *** ****'* ****** ********** ** ******** ******* ** ** not ****** ** *** **** '*********' *****. **** ****** *** platforms *** **** **** ****** ** ****** * ****, *** instead *** *** ******** ******** ** ****** ******, *********, *** privileges.
  • ******* ****/*****: *******, *** **** ******** ** ******* ****** *** **** ** encrypted *** ********** ****** ********* ******* *** ****. ********** *** access ******* ***** *** ********** ****** *** ******* (**: *****, ***** *******) *** *** *****-****** ************** (**: **********) **** ******** ***********, *** ****** *** ** *** sufficient.

The *** ********

** ***** ** ********, *** *** ********** ******* *** *********. The '**** ****** ******' (******* ** *** *********) *** **.** *** ***** *** ***** ** **** ********** ** underlying ******, ********** ******, ** **********. *** *** *** ** usable ** * ****** ** ** *** ******, *** *** full ******* ** *** ********** **** *** ** *********.

*** ******* ******* **** **** * *** ***** *** * hundred ** **** ***********, ***** *** *** ** *** ******* ID *** *** ** * *******. *******, *** ****-******** *****, systems **** *** *********** *** ******** ********, ** *** ***** systems ***** ********* *********** *** * **** ***** **** ***** are *** ****** *** ********** *** *********** *** *** **** as *** *** *******.

Form ******

********** ****** *** *** **** ******* ** ***** ** ****. Like ** ***** ** *** ****** ********** **** ****** ********, *** **** *** ****** ** ******* * ********** *** include ********, ******, ****-***** *****, ** **** *******. 

*** **** ****** ** *** ********** ***** ** ** ********* consideration ** ******* ********** *** ******* ****.  *** *******, ***** a ***** *** **** *** ** ***** ** ***** ** ID ***** ** *** **** **** * *******, ** *** easily ** **** ** ****** ** * ***** ***********. * key ***, ***** ********** *** ******** * ******* **, ** designed ** ** ******* ****** ** ********* *****, ***** *********** exposures, *** **** ********** ** *****.

*** ***** **** ****** ****** ****** ** ******** ** *** user, *** *** ****'* ***********, *** ** ******* *** ***** credential ***** **** ******** **** ****** ******* ** ****.

System ******

** ***** ** ****** *******, ********** *********/******* ****** **** ****** design. ****** ********* **** ******** *** ********** ******, *** *** subsequent ****** ** **** **** ***** **** **** ******. ** terms ** '****** ********** ********' *********, **** ****** **** *** generally ******, ******* *** ****** ****** ********** ********** *************. ** long ** *** ******** ** ********** **** *** ******, ********** choice ** * ******** ******, *** **** ******* ********** ***** based ** ********* *** **** ** ******** ****** **** ********** difference.

*******, **** **** ******** ** ****, ******* *** ****** ******* they ********* ******* *********** ** *********** ** ****** *******. ******** from *** ****** ** *** ***** *** **** ********* *** affects *** *****, ** ******* *** ********.

Comments (3)

Thumbnail thomas

Thomas Atkinson

IPVMU Certified | 10/12/16 12:19pm

**** ***********. ***** ** * *** **** ***** *** ******* that **** ********** ********** *** ***** ******** **.

Keith Beatty

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Thomas Atkinson | 04/17/17 05:28pm

* *****.

**** * **** ** ******** ** *** ********* ** **** article ** ** *** *** ******* ***** ** **** * nice ********. *** ***** * "****'* *** ****" ******* ** what *** ********** *** ** * ******** ****** *** **** zoom ** ** *** ****** *********.

Undisclosed Integrator #1

04/18/17 08:44pm

***** *********** *** ***** * ****** **** ********* **** * am **** **. * ******* ************ ******** *** **** ****** systems, *** **** *** **** * ***** ******** ** *** the ****** ******** *****!

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