Paris, Cartes show, November 14, 2011: ASK, as an expert in contactless technology, is the project leader of the innovative Fast PASS project with its partners STMicroelectronics, LEAT (French Laboratory of Electronics, Antennas and Telecommunications) and ISEN (Toulon-based Engineering School). Fast PASS will bring mass transit operators ticketing contactless products with performance that have never been achieved before in terms of transaction speed, security level and ergonomics.
Fast PASS is a 3 years project, funded by OSEO (French innovation fund), the European Fund of Regional Development (FEDER), the Toulon Provence Méditerranée community council (TPM), the Alpes-Maritimes and regional county council and it has been supported by the SCS cluster.
As contactless technology-based systems keep increasing in public transport, banking and secure documents sectors, transport operators are willing to leverage their general offer with multi-application contactless smart cards in the future. Fast PASS brand new range will meet new anti-fraud requirements with a security level that goes beyond the current EAL4+ standard. A transaction speed below 80 ms and an average communication distance over 10 cm will increase passenger flow.
“To date, all actors involved in contactless smart cards manufacturing, from chip suppliers to Operating Systems developers or even antenna designers had to compromise on performance to optimize 3 essential features: security level, transaction speed and distance, says Amand Cochet, Senior VP at ASK. With Fast PASS project, we benefit from the expertise of each partner to bring to the market a truly innovative product.On the other hand, the contactless smart card complies with ISO14443 type A and B, allowing for instance a student to use public transport in type B and university access control and services in type A, with the same card.”
Technical features:
This new generation of multi-application smart cards, first dedicated to public transport and later on to the banking and identity sectors, will offer a transaction speed under 80 ms, a transaction distance of about 10 cm along with the highest security level found in the banking and identity sectors.
Therefore this card will integrate the following features:
• An Integrated Circuit using a 90 nm EEPROM technology
• An Integrated Circuit compliant with both ISO14443 type A and B standard.
• A native OS with a Global Platform management.
• Mutual optimization of antenna/IC power consumption
• An optimized mathematical model that will guaranty that the product is close to a « no default » level (OS, applications).
Partners missions:
• ASK : OS development and project management
As a contactless smart card manufacturer ASK gained a long experience in IC security developments, in IC/antenna design interface as well as cards/readers interface. This experience allows ASK to manage the project as a whole and develop the secure embedded solutions.
• STMicroelectronics: IC design and manufacturing
STMicroelectronics is a global leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications with innovative semiconductor solutions. ST aims to be the undisputed leader in multimedia convergence and power applications leveraging its vast array of technologies, design expertise and combination of intellectual property portfolio, strategic partnerships and manufacturing strength.
As a semiconductor developer and supplier, ST contributes to the specifications and provides design and manufacturing of the required components. Its expertise in secure ICs, including contactless chips (Type ISO 14443) and its Common Criteria-certified product portfolio, will be useful in solving the various technology constraints of the project.
ST technical teams and development tools will contribute to the integration and adaptation of ASK software and to the composite evaluation of security features (software on certified circuit).
• ISEN Toulon: characterization and pre-certification
In this project, ISEN-Toulon must make all measures (distance, field, protocol, timing) to evaluate the various versions of the product and its performance. ISEN will use both its experimental means and Micro-PackS CIM-PACA the 13.56MHz RF pre-certification in CIM-PACA Micro-PackS platform. In pointing out limitations and their causes, ISEN will be involved in the specification of the new IC and OS.
• LEAT: Characterization and evaluation of contactless cards
The “integrated and active antenna” team of LEAT will be involved in the design of the HF contactless card radiating element. They will add complementary information to the research, development and optimization of existing documentation on 13.56 Mhz antennas. The new multi-application product will have to benefit from optimized performances and take into account standard and ergonomics constraints:
- Modeling/optimization of coupling (tag/reader coupler according to the required standard )
- Near field/far field radiation
- Design of small radiating elements
- Environment or other near field radiating elements to take into account for integration of future standards
The “Modeling and design of communication device systems” team will work on expected behavioral modeling derived from the system’s specification, in order to identify relevant test sequences to verify the implementation of the OS integrated in the card.
About ASK
ASK, with over 200 million contactless products in circulation in more than 50 countries, is a worldwide leading provider of a full range of contactless products including smart cards, smart tickets, smart adhesive labels, readers, inlays for electronic passports or contactless smart cards and eDocuments. ASK is ISO9001 certified and holds a portfolio of 57 patents to date. ASK is a France-headquartered company with worldwide customers, and subsidiaries in China, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and the US.
Contact:
Claire Boyer
Tel.: +33 (0)4.97.21.48.56
Cell: +33 (0)6.72.14.01.46
claire.boyer@ask.fr