New Contactless-Memory IC from STMicroelectronics Enables More Applications for Re-Usable Electronic Tickets

Paving the way for more flexible e-ticketing and increasing user convenience and operator efficiency, STMicroelectronics, a leading developer of RFID technology, has introduced the SRi2K, a new 2-Kbit IC enabling contactless tickets to manage access to multiple services.

“Smart ticketing is delivering tremendous value for providers and consumers of many types of services,” said Benoit Rodrigues,general manager of the RFID and EEPROM Division, STMicroelectronics. “The SRi2K RFID chip represents a significant step forward for contactless-card ICs and provides the foundation for coming generations of innovative and imaginative services. Our customers can benefit from a wide range of ISO14443 ICs, now covering 512-bit, 2-Kbit and 4-Kbit memory densities. ”

The SRi2K leverages ST’s position as the world’s leading supplier of EEPROM rewritable memory to implement a large on-chip memory of 2-Kbit density alongside RFID circuitry. This enlarged data capacity allows e-tickets to become more intelligent and flexible, to support changing lifestyles and to enable services such as transportation to become more efficient. The SRi2K can enable seamless access to transport modes such as bus, train, tram, taxi or cycle hire, for example, with one e-ticket. Due to its flexibility and enhanced features, the SRi2K is also suitable for access control, event ticketing, vending machines and theme park applications.

The SRi2K has four times more data storage than ST’s successful SRi512 and SRT512 RFID ICs, which are being used in contactless ticketing applications worldwide. The largest and most recently announced of these is the Single Journey Ticket system for the Seoul Metro in South Korea.

Providing contactless access to its increased memory capacity, the SRi2K features integrated RFID circuitry operating at the standard 13.56MHz carrier frequency and meeting all applicable international standards including ISO 14443-2/3 covering interfaces and data formatting. The IC also allows the implementation of security schemes, based on its unique 64-bit ID as well as lockable memory blocks.

In addition, an 8-bit anti-collision mechanism based on the chip ID allows large numbers of contactless tickets to co-exist without interfering. The chip’s fast memory-access time and 106-Kbit/s data rate enable rapid communication between the ticket and reader, to speed up each transaction. For optimum reliability the SRi2K features unparalleled dual 32-bit decrementing counters to prevent data loss, known as ticket tearing, in the event of power-failure while the ticket is being debited.

The SRi2K is certified for one million erase/rewrite cycles and 40-year data retention. Mass production is scheduled for November 2009, delivered as bare die for embedding directly in smart tickets, or in unsingulated wafer form, priced at $0.15 each for 100,000 units and above.