EM4100 & T5577 vs. ISO/IEC 15693
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 15693 (NFC Forum Type 5) is an international standard for High-Frequency (13.56 MHz) Vicinity Integrated Circuit Cards (VICC). Engineered with relaxed power requirements and highly sensitive subcarrier modulation, it achieves read ranges up to 1 to 1.5 meters, making it the standard for library item tracking, ski resort passes, and pharmaceutical logistics.
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) | — |
|
Operating Distance
|
— | Up to 1.0 to 1.5 m (Vicinity range) |
|
NFC Forum Classification
|
— | Type 5 Tag |
|
Data Rates (Downlink)
|
— | 26.48 kbps (High data rate) / 1.65 kbps (Low rate) |
|
Downlink Modulation
|
— | 100% or 10%–30% ASK (1-out-of-4 or 1-out-of-256 pulse position coding) |
|
Uplink Modulation
|
— | Manchester coding on 423.75 kHz single or dual subcarriers |
|
Prominent Silicon Families
|
— | NXP ICODE, STMicroelectronics ST25TV, Texas Instruments Tag-it |