At the smartcard industry trade exhibition, Cartes 2004, TDK Semiconductor unveiled its TDK 73S12xx family of 8-bit system-on-chips dedicated to low-cost smartcard readers. Targeted applications include smartcard readers embedded into laptops and USB-connected PIN-pad smartcard readers. Applications include identification and digital signature for corporate and government deployments, as well as home-banking schemes such as the MasterCard Chip-Authentication-Program.
The new 72S12xx products will offer cost reduction and enhanced features such as a high-speed 20-MIPS 80C52 core, built-in ISO-7816 interface, optional USB and PIN-pad interfaces, realtime clock, and more, says TDK. The 73S12xx will allow manufacturers of PIN-pads to build, at an attractive cost, USB-connected PIN-pad smartcard readers with features such as high-speed card communication, full-speed USB, and PIN encryption. According to TDK, various flavours will be introduced to cover particular applications such as a small pin-count option to enable PC manufacturers to incorporate a turnkey smartcard reader solution into laptops or PC keyboards, and a high pin-count option for single-chip PIN-pad readers.
Jean-Christophe Doucet, senior product manager at TDK Semiconductor, commented, "Vendors of PIN-pad readers currently have to make a choice between performance and production cost. Until now it has been impossible to build a USB-connected PIN-pad reader with a viable selling price for home-banking and digital identification markets, but the 73S12xx products will change all that."
ActivCard, a global provider of strong authentication and trusted digital identity solutions, has already evaluated the TDK smartcard reader controller platform for the latest member of its PIN-pad card reader family, the ActivReader SOLO. According to Mehdi Bermy, financial solutions manager at ActivCard, "We have been using TDK solutions for several years in our products. The upcoming 73S12xx gathers the enhanced features we were looking for, but more importantly, at an attractive cost that will enable us to address our markets."
Cost-effective microcontroller series Altron Arrow
DSP, Micros & Memory
The STM32C5 series from STMicroelectronics delivers an excellent balance of performance, efficiency, and affordability for embedded designs that require more capability without increasing bill of materials cost.
Read more...Battery-friendly Thread and BLE solution iCorp Technologies
DSP, Micros & Memory
Positioned as an incremental upgrade to the ESP32-H2, Espressif’s ESP32-H21 adds an integrated DC-DC converter that reduces active current draw and helps extend battery life in power-sensitive consumer and industrial devices.
Read more...Next generation HMI processing platform Future Electronics
DSP, Micros & Memory
Microchip’s latest hybrid MCU SiP integrates an Arm926EJ-S processor with 512 Mb of DDR2 SDRAM and is engineered to meet the rising demand for sophisticated HMI solutions in modern vehicles.
Read more...Real-time monitoring for smart power distribution CST Electronics
Test & Measurement
By leveraging high-precision measurement, high-speed wave-recording, and AI-enabled analytics, the InHand Wireless Overhead-lines System empowers power utilities to accurately identify line faults and perform comprehensive load analysis.
Read more...Low-power SoC for IoT designs iCorp Technologies
DSP, Micros & Memory
Espressif’s ESP32-H4 is a dual-core 32-bit RISC-V SoC designed for battery-powered wireless products that require low energy consumption, strong security, and modern connectivity.
Read more...Chip for high-density power Future Electronics
DSP, Micros & Memory
Microchip’s dsPIC33AK256MPS306 Digital Signal Controllers combine high-resolution control, high-speed analogue, and security with support for post-quantum cryptography.
Read more...The end of ‘entry-level’: STMicroelectronics’ STM32C5 sets a new baseline for embedded systems
DSP, Micros & Memory
[Sponsored] Instead of incrementally improving legacy Cortex-M0+ architectures, STM32C5 introduces a Cortex-M33-based platform into the entry-level category. This changes not only performance expectations, but also how engineers approach system architecture, consolidation, and long-term scalability.
Read more...Robust LoRaWAN for distributed IoT CST Electronics
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
InHand Networks has unveiled its latest LoRaWAN gateway, the EC312, marking an evolution in industrial-grade connectivity solutions for distributed IoT environments.
Read more...GigaDevice expands GD25UF Series density NuVision Electronics
DSP, Micros & Memory
GigaDevice has announced the expanded density range of its GD25UF series 1,2 V ultra-low power SPI NOR Flash, now spanning from 8 Mb to 256 Mb.
Read more...ARINC 429 line driver evaluation board ASIC Design Services
DSP, Micros & Memory
Holt Integrated Circuits have announced the release of the ADK-85104 Evaluation Board, a compact, ready-to-use platform designed to help engineers rapidly evaluate and characterise Holt’s HI-85104.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version