Increased levels of processing power, flexibility and memory add cost. Single function cards are often the most cost-effective solution. Choose the right type of smart card for your application by evaluating cost versus functionality and determine your required level of security. The following chart demonstrates the general rules of thumb. Memory Cards Memory cards have no sophisticated processing power and cannot manage files dynamically.
All memories communicate to readers through synchronous protocols.
These cards just store data and have no data processing capabilities. These cards are the lowest cost per bit for user memory. They should be regarded as floppy disks of varying sizes without the lock mechanism. These cards cannot identify themselves to the reader, so your host system has to know what type of card is being inserted into a reader. These cards have built-in logic to control the access to the memory of the card.