Download PDF Smart Card Handbook Third Edition by Wolfgang Rankl and Wolfgang Effing

Sinopsis

This book has been written for students, engineers and technically minded persons who want to learn more about smart cards. It attempts to cover this broad topic as completely as possible, in order to provide the reader with a general understanding of the fundamentals and the current state of the technology.
 

We have put great emphasis on a practical approach. The wealth of pictures, tables and references to real applications is intended to help the reader become familiar with the subject rather more quickly than would be possible with a strictly technical presentation. This book is thus intended to be useful in practice, rather than technically complete. For this reason, descriptions have been kept as concrete as possible. In places where we were faced with a choice between technical accuracy and ease of understanding, we have tried to strike a happy medium. Whenever this proved to be impossible, we have always given preference to ease of understanding. The book has been written so that it can be read in the usual way, from front to back.
 

We have tried to avoid forward references as much as possible. The designs of the individual chapters, in terms of structure and content, allow them to be read individually without any loss of understanding. The comprehensive index and the glossary allow this book to be used as a reference work. If you want to know more about a specific topic, the references in the text and the annotated directory of standards will help you find the relevant documents.
 

Unfortunately, a large number of abbreviations have become established in smart card technology, as in so many other areas of technology and everyday life. This makes it particularly difficult for newcomers to become familiar with the subject. We have tried to minimize the use of these cryptic and frequently illogical abbreviations. Nevertheless, we have often had to choose a middle way between internationally accepted smart card terminology used by specialists and common terms more easily understood by laypersons. If we have not always succeeded, the extensive list of abbreviations at the front of the book should at least help overcome any barriers to understanding, which we hope will be short-lived. An extensive glossary in the final chapter of the book explains the most important technical concepts and supplements the list of abbreviations.
 

An important feature of smart cards is that their properties are strongly based on international standards. This is fundamentally important with regard to the usually compulsory need for interoperability. Unfortunately, these standards are often difficult to understand, and in some critical places they require outright interpretation. Sometimes only the members of the associated standardization group can explain the intention of certain sections. In such cases, the Smart Card Handbook attempts to present the understanding that is generally accepted in the smart card industry. Nevertheless, the relevant standards are still the ultimate authority, and in such cases they should always be consulted.

 

Content

1. The History of Smart Cards
2. Types of Cards
3. Physical and Electrical Properties
4. Informatic Foundations
5. Smart Card Operating Systems
6. Smart Card Data Transmission
7. Smart Card Commands
8. Security Techniques
9. Quality Assurance and Testing
10. The Smart Card Life Cycle
11. Smart Card Terminals
12. Smart Cards in Payment Systems
13. Smart Cards in Telecommunications
14. Sample Applications
15. Application Design

Click here to download