Microcontroller for Smart Card Readers - ST7GEM - STMicroelectronics and Gemalto

STMicroelectronics announced a new microcontroller for smart-card applications. The product is a result of partnership with Gemalto. The new ST7GEM is a secure microcontroller in ST's ST7 family, pre-programmed with smart-card interface software from Gemalto. Integrated smart-card readers are an increasingly popular security feature for laptop PCs, enabling user authentication, and protecting sensitive information in healthcare, banking, government and other areas. To build a complete embedded smart card reader, the ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller only need a few passive external components.

STMicroelectronics ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller

ST7GEM Smart Card IC is available in 24-pin SO or QFN packages, perfectly suited for consumer and PC-linked applications, such as:

• Stand-alone PC-linked readers
• PIN pads
• POS terminals
• Mobile phones
• PDAs
• Home routers
• Set-top boxes

Key features of ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller

• Single integrated circuit solution with very few external passive components
• MVCo certification and PC/SC compliance
• Performance and specifications developed in partnership with industry leader in readers
• Engineering expertise in system integration and PCB design
• Application note and evaluation kit available

Key benefits of ST7GEM Smart Card IC

• Optimized PCB space and lower bill of material cost
• Enables fast reader development and rapid time-to-market
• Quick EMVCo/EMV2000 type approval process and Microsoft WHQL agreement

The ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller is already being used in production by a leading laptop manufacturer, and other industry leaders are currently evaluating and qualifying the device for their own PCs. In addition, it is an ideal solution for standalone readers connected through a USB or serial interface, and for POS (point-of-sale) terminals, PIN pads, mobile phones, PDAs and set-top boxes.

The ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller peripherals include an ISO/IEC 7816 serial host interface; USB 2.0-compliant interface; card power supply, with power-up/power-down control, ensuring compatibility with 5.0V, 3.0V and 1.8V smart-card types; and a card management unit with card insertion and removal detection. Drivers are embedded for a wide range of popular operating systems, and the whole package makes it straightforward to build an EMV-compliant smart-card interface. In addition, the device includes 16 Kbytes of Flash program memory and 768 bytes of RAM, as well as a timer, watchdog and low-voltage detector.

Technical features of ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller

• Supported smartcards
  • Microprocessor cards
  • T=0, T=1 protocols
  • Transmission rate: 2 Kbps to 344 Kbps Synchronous
• Smartcard electrical interface
  • Power supply: 5V/55mA and 3V/50mA and 1.8V/20mA
  • Power up/power down control sequences
  • Short circuit current limitation
  • Card insertion/extraction detection
  • ESD protection: 4 kV Human Body Model
• Drivers
  • Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003
  • Microsoft Windows CE 4.1/4.2/5.0
  • Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit on AMD64 and EMT64
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 64-bit
  • Linux Red Hat/SUSE/Debian
  • Mac OS 10.3/10.4
• USB 2.0 compliant
  • CCID V1.0
  • Full speed, hub-less
  • Bus powered, low consumption
• Serial host  interface
  • Transmission rate: 9.6 Kbps to 115 Kbps
  • Automatic  baud rate
  • CCID V1.0 on serial TTL link
• Environmental
  • Operating range: 0 to +70°C
  • Storage: -65 to +150°C
• Packaging:
  • SO 24 pins
  • QFN 24 pins

Development tools for of ST7GEM Smart Card IC

Application note available with PCB recommendations and component bill of materials allows a fast time-to-market development for a complete and robust turnkey solution. The evaluation kit developed by GEMPLUS demonstrates ST7GEM features and performance. The ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller is also supported by an evaluation kit developed by Gemalto.

About Gemalto
Gemalto's solutions are designed to make personal digital interactions more convenient, secure and enjoyable. Gemalto provides end-to-end digital security solutions, from the development of software applications through design and production of secure personal devices such as smart cards, SIMs, e-passports, and tokens to the management of deployment services for its customers. More than a billion people worldwide use the company's products and services for telecommunications, financial services, e-government, identity management, multimedia content, digital rights management, IT security, mass transit and many other applications.

The ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller is available in 24-pin SO and QFN packages. The price is $4.50 (1K lot qty).

Source: STMicroelectronics ST7GEM Smart Card Microcontroller