1999-11-16 , E/IC-1057/35
Product News From Philips Semiconductors

Philips Semiconductors, the largest European semiconductor manufacturer, today announced a new platform of single-chip contactless reader ICs, which is set to expand the application areas for 13.56 MHz contactless identification technology. Integrating all digital and analog functionality on-chip, these new ICs are easy to design-in and will make contactless technology viable in high volume reader applications. The platform will include reader ICs for all popular contactless identification standards, such as MIFARE®, I•CODE, ISO 14443 and ISO 15693.

The first product in this platform is the MF RC500, supporting all layers of ISO 14443 A. Based on the proven MIFARE® RF interface technology, this new product will extend the use of contactless cards well beyond today's transport and access control applications, opening up the road tolling and phone card sectors and representing a major step towards integrating contactless cards into PC access applications.

Available from early next year, the MF RC500 supports up to 10cm operating distances without the need for any external RF amplifying circuitry. As with all other MIFARE® based products, the MF RC500 complies with ISO 14443 A and supports all MIFARE® products including dual interface cards. The MF RC500 is an especially attractive solution in applications requiring large numbers of reader terminals. The product will contribute significantly to reducing the infrastructure cost of contactless smart card schemes and enables easy system integration, further spreading the use of contactless smart card technology worldwide and enhancing people's mobility.

The next member of this platform, the SL RC400, is a reader IC which supports I•CODE and ISO 15693 and will be introduced in the course of next year.

About Philips Semiconductors' MIFARE® interface technology: Fully in accordance with ISO/IEC 14443 A, Philips Semiconductors' MIFARE® interface technology is the industry standard for contactless smart cards and used in 85% of all contactless smart card schemes; with well over 3 billion card transactions, more than 45 million card ICs in use and over 450,000 read/write units in operation worldwide.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the eighth largest semiconductor supplier based on Dataquest's 1998 report*). Philips Semiconductors is a leader with a proven reputation in the development and production of high security controller ICs and contactless smart card ICs as well as in components for radio frequency identification. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by regional application labs. Additional information on Philips Semiconductors can be obtained by accessing its home page at http://cdrom.semiconductors.com/

*) Based on Vendor Revenue from Shipments of Total Semiconductors Worldwide according to Dataquest's 1998 Worldwide Semiconductor Market Share report published in May, 1999.

MIFARE® is a registered trademark of Philips Royal Electronics N.V.