EM4100 & T5577 vs. ISO/IEC 14443
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
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.
ISO/IEC 14443 is the international standard governing contactless Proximity Integrated Circuit Cards (PICC) and Proximity Coupling Devices (PCD) operating at 13.56 MHz over distances up to 10 cm. It defines two distinct physical and framing architectures—Type A and Type B—and forms the foundation of EMV contactless payment cards and ICAO biometric ePassports.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Frequency Bands
|
100 to 150 kHz (125 kHz nominal) | 13.56 MHz |
|
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) | — |
|
Standard Parts
|
— | Part 1 (Physical), Part 2 (RF/Signal), Part 3 (Initialization/Anticollision), Part 4 (T=CL Protocol) |
|
Nominal Operating Range
|
— | Up to 10 cm |
|
Data Transfer Rates
|
— | 106, 212, 424, and 848 kbps |
|
Type A Modulation
|
— | 100% ASK with Modified Miller Coding |
|
Type B Modulation
|
— | 10% ASK with NRZ Coding |
|
Primary Applications
|
— | EMV contactless credit cards, biometric ePassports (ICAO 9303), national eID cards |