Abstract: A smart card is a credit card sized plastic card with an embedded microprocessor and memory and is used for identification, access, and conducting financial transactions. Acting like a mini-computer, smart cards allow money and information to be electronically stored and transferred in a secure but portable medium. When inserted into a reader or passed over a scanner, the smart card transfers data to and from a central computer. Overall, it is a replacement for old means of retaining data and transacting business. There are two fundamental sides of development for any smart card application: the host-side and card-side. Software programming tends to comprise most of the effort involved in smart card development. The host software runs on a computer connected to a smart card, and the card software runs on the card as a counterpart to the host software. This project is to build a smart card reader, creating a host-side design to replace a host computer system.
The function of a smart card reader is to read the card content and display the decoded information on a character LCD display. Unlike standard smart card readers, though, this reader relies on hardware design rather than software programming to perform these tasks.