Side-by-Side Comparison
Smart Cards & RFID
Calypso vs. EM4100 & T5577
Comparing 2 standards across 11 specifications. 11 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Calypso
EM4100 & T5577
Calypso is an open international contactless electronic ticketing standard managed by the Calypso Networks Association, operating under ISO/IEC 14443 Type B (and Type A). Developed by European transit operators to prevent proprietary lock-in with NXP MIFARE, it powers major transit networks including the Paris Navigo, Lisbon Viva, and Belgium MoBIB.
EM4100 and T5577 represent the foundational low-frequency (LF, 125 kHz) RFID transponder ecosystem. The EM4100 (EM-Marin) is a factory-programmed, 64-bit read-only identity chip, while the Atmel/Microchip T5577 is a rewritable EEPROM transponder used to emulate and clone various 125 kHz LF protocols.
Specification Comparison Table
11 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Frequency Bands
|
13.56 MHz | 100 to 150 kHz (125 kHz nominal) |
|
Framing Standard
|
ISO/IEC 14443 Type B (and Type A in Calypso Prime) | — |
|
Standardization Body
|
Calypso Networks Association (CNA) / EN 1545 / ISO 24014 | — |
|
Cryptographic Engine
|
Triple DES / AES-128 / Elliptic Curve PKI (Calypso Prime) | — |
|
Operating Architecture
|
Multi-application secure microprocessor (Java Card / Native OS) | — |
|
Primary Transit Deployments
|
Paris (Navigo), Brussels/Belgium (MoBIB), Lisbon (Viva), Venice, Tel Aviv (Rav-Kav) | — |
|
EM4100 Memory Structure
|
— | 64 bits (9 header bits, 40 customer/ID bits, 15 parity/stop bits) |
|
T5577 Memory Capacity
|
— | 330 bits (10 blocks of 33 bits EEPROM) |
|
Modulation Schemes Supported
|
— | Manchester, Biphase, FSK, PSK |
|
Data Rates (Typical)
|
— | RF/64, RF/32, RF/16 clock divisors |
|
Cryptographic Protection
|
— | None (Plaintext transmission) |