Publication date: 13 May 2008
Because of their effectiveness in combating this type of piracy, the use of smart card connectors in PoS applications is continuing to grow in response to market demands for security.
Manufacturers of smart card connectors for the PoS industry face three major challenges: increasing the security level against a potential hacker‘s attempts to probe the device and steal personal identification numbers; decreasing the size of the components as wireless PoS terminals become more compact; and decreasing the cost of the components to meet the expanding use of PoS in higher volume applications amid increasing competition.
In addition to facing these challenges, smart card connectors in PoS applications must also comply with VISA PCI (payment card industry) PED (PIN entry device) requirements. Thus, compact, highly reliable, industrial-grade connectors are essential to meeting the level of security and functionality required by PoS terminal manufacturers.
Increasing security to prevent probing can be accomplished by either the customer, in this case the PoS terminal manufacturer, or the connector manufacturer. Some terminal manufacturers attempt to accomplish this by using standard connectors on the PC board and implementing an anti-piracy system within the overall terminal.
While a standard connector may cost less initially, it requires additional devices to be incorporated into the terminal itself, thus increasing both the cost and size of the end product. Rather than add layers of protection inside the existing PoS terminal, it is more cost-effective to add increased security within the entry connector’s terminal tracks, resulting in a more effective approach to stopping piracy.
For example, the use of multiple interconnected layers around the connector can detect many types of intrusion. The detection module protecting the contacts also adds to this first level of protection, preventing any attempt to probe the device.
The assembly processes of terminal manufacturers also play an important role in the development of connectors that protect against piracy. On a worldwide level, many customers using these connectors employ SMT assembly lines, requiring a connector solution that can be processed with standard pick & place SMT equipment.
By developing a smart card connector that is compatible with SMT assembly processes and provides significant piracy protection, reliability is increased while costs are kept at a minimum. Smart card connectors must also meet the security requirements of VISA PCI PED, and the compatibility with SMT assembly processes allows connector manufacturers to meet the first step in the upcoming PCI 2.0 standard.
As the use of smart card connectors in PoS terminals is growing, they must be compact enough to meet space requirements for both wireless (PoS terminals in restaurants and consumer stores) and wired applications. One option is to reduce the size of the contact base, thereby reducing the overall size of the connector while also making it more stable during mounting. This design also creates an air gap between the contacts and card entry slot, reducing electrostatic transfer to the PC board.
In addition to being compact, the reliability of smart card connectors is paramount. Not only do they have to protect against the probes of a would-be hacker, but these applications require the connector be capable of extended use. The construction of the smart card connector is determined by its projected lifecycle. A sliding connector features a construction where the credit card slides over the contacts when it is inserted and retrieved.
This type of mechanism exhibits a life of about 300,000 cycles, (where a cycle consists of card insertion and retrieval). Conversely, in a landing system the contact rises and touches the card when it’s inserted, allowing for a longer lifecycle of about 500,000 cycles.
As the market for PoS terminals continues to grow, more and more connector manufacturers are developing smart card connectors. As such, cost must be kept to a minimum in order to remain competitive in the marketplace. C&K Components, for example, has met the cost demands by developing anti-piracy smart card connectors from existing connector designs.
Utilizing an already proven technology minimizes cost because the connector manufacturer does not have to design a connector from the ground up. This also enhances the reliability of the connector. By adapting smart card connectors to meet anti-piracy requirements from an already existing device, manufacturers already have access to data about the reliability of the connector, rather than having to predict its performance.
Increasing the security level against potential hackers while meeting industry demands for increased reliability in PoS applications, as well as meeting PCI requirements, presents a significant challenge. Smart card connectors play a key role in meeting these challenges by preventing piracy, keeping costs at a minimum and providing a highly reliable device that is compatible with assembly systems on a worldwide level.
