Calypso vs. NFC Forum Tag Types
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 11 key differences identified.
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.
NFC Forum Tag Types (Types 1 through 5) are standardized memory and communication specifications established by the NFC Forum, operating at 13.56 MHz. They define how data is formatted in NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) across underlying ISO/IEC 14443 Type A/B, FeliCa, and ISO/IEC 15693 radio architectures.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Frequency Bands
|
13.56 MHz | 13.56 MHz |
|
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) | — |
|
Data Format Standard
|
— | NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) |
|
Type 1 Baseline
|
— | Innovision Topaz (ISO 14443-A, 106 kbps, 96B–2KB) |
|
Type 2 Baseline
|
— | NXP NTAG / MIFARE Ultralight (ISO 14443-A, 106 kbps, 48B–2KB) |
|
Type 3 Baseline
|
— | Sony FeliCa Lite (JIS X 6319-4, 212/424 kbps, up to 1MB) |
|
Type 4 Baseline
|
— | ISO/IEC 14443 Type A & B T=CL (106–848 kbps, up to 32KB) |
|
Type 5 Baseline
|
— | ISO/IEC 15693 Vicinity (26.48 kbps, up to 64KB) |