smartcardfyi 0.1.1

Smart card encyclopedia API client — look up EMV, Java Card, MULTOS, SIM, JCOP chip platforms, ISO 7816 standards, and specifications from SmartCardFYI.

smartcardfyi

Smart card encyclopedia API client for Python. Look up card types (contact, contactless, dual-interface), chip platforms (Java Card, MULTOS, JCOP, BasicCard), ISO 7816 standards, EMV payment specifications, GlobalPlatform card management, manufacturers, form factors from ID-1 to iSIM, and security certifications from SmartCardFYI -- the comprehensive smart card reference with 280 records covering every major smart card technology in commercial and government use.

Extracted from SmartCardFYI, a smart card technology platform with 280 records spanning chip platforms, international standards, security certifications, form factor specifications, and deployment guides used by payment system architects, telecom engineers, government ID program managers, and security researchers worldwide.

Explore smart cards at smartcardfyi.com -- Card Type Explorer | Standards Reference | Platform Guide | Glossary

Table of Contents

• Install
• Quick Start
• What You'll Find on SmartCardFYI
  • Contact vs Contactless Interface
  • Chip Platforms
  • EMV Payment Standards
  • ISO 7816 Standard Series
  • APDU Communication
  • GlobalPlatform Card Management
  • Form Factors
  • Security Certifications
• API Endpoints
• Command-Line Interface
• MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
• REST API Client
• Learn More About Smart Cards
• Also Available
• Tag FYI Family
• FYIPedia Developer Tools
• License

Install

pip install smartcardfyi[api]     # API client (httpx)
pip install smartcardfyi[cli]     # + CLI (typer, rich)
pip install smartcardfyi[mcp]     # + MCP server
pip install smartcardfyi[all]     # Everything

Quick Start

from smartcardfyi.api import SmartCardFYI

with SmartCardFYI() as api:
    # Search card types, platforms, standards, glossary
    results = api.search("emv")
    print(results)

    # Look up a specific card type
    emv = api.card("emv-contact")
    print(emv["name"], emv["interface"])  # EMV Contact Card

    # Compare two card platforms
    diff = api.compare("java-card", "multos")
    print(diff)

    # Discover a random card type
    surprise = api.random()
    print(surprise["name"])

What You'll Find on SmartCardFYI

SmartCardFYI is a comprehensive smart card encyclopedia covering card types, chip platforms, international standards, manufacturers, applications, form factors, and security certifications. Smart cards are tamper-resistant integrated circuit cards that provide secure data storage, cryptographic processing, and authenticated access -- the foundation of payment systems (5+ billion EMV cards active), telecommunications (8+ billion SIM cards), government identity, physical access control, and healthcare worldwide.

Contact vs Contactless Interface

Smart cards communicate through two primary interfaces. Contact cards (ISO 7816-3) use an 8-pin gold pad that makes physical contact with a card reader, operating at 3.3V or 5V with clock speeds from 1 MHz to 20 MHz, using T=0 (byte-oriented) or T=1 (block-oriented) transmission protocols. Contactless cards (ISO 14443 Type A/B) use radio frequency at 13.56 MHz with read ranges of 4-10 cm, employing either Type A (ASK modulation, Miller encoding -- MIFARE, NTAG) or Type B (ASK modulation, NRZ-L encoding -- Calypso, CIV).

Dual-interface cards combine both interfaces sharing a single chip die with separate I/O paths. This is now the standard for modern EMV payment cards -- the same chip handles contact transactions at POS terminals and contactless tap-to-pay, with the card selecting the appropriate interface automatically based on the reader's field.

Learn more: Card Type Explorer | Glossary

Chip Platforms

Smart card chip platforms provide the operating system and execution environment for card applications:

Platform	Developer	Language	Multi-App	Cumulative Shipments	Key Feature
Java Card	Oracle	Java (subset)	Yes	30+ billion	Open ecosystem, applet isolation, firewall
MULTOS	MULTOS Consortium	MEL, C, Java	Yes	500+ million	Certified secure loading, no vendor lock-in
JCOP	NXP	Java Card	Yes	Billions	NXP hardware optimization, DESFire integration
BasicCard	ZeitControl	ZC-Basic	Limited	Millions	Rapid prototyping, free dev tools
Native OS	Various	Assembly/C	No	Billions	Maximum performance, proprietary

Java Card dominates with over 30 billion cumulative shipments. It runs a stripped-down JVM (JCVM) supporting a subset of Java -- no floats, no threads, no garbage collection, no multi-dimensional arrays, no String class. Applets are isolated via the Java Card firewall, and inter-applet communication uses Shareable Interface Objects (SIOs). Memory is persistent by default (EEPROM/Flash), and objects survive card power cycles without explicit serialization.

Learn more: Platform Guide | Standards

EMV Payment Standards

EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) defines the global standard for chip-based payment cards. The EMV specification suite includes:

Specification	Scope	Key Concepts
EMV 4.3 Book 1	Application-independent ICC to terminal	ATR parsing, application selection (AID)
EMV 4.3 Book 2	Security and key management	SDA, DDA, CDA offline authentication
EMV 4.3 Book 3	Application specification	Transaction flow, card risk management
EMV 4.3 Book 4	Cardholder, attendant, acquirer	PIN entry, receipt, online authorization
EMV Contactless Books A-D	Tap-to-pay specifications	Per-kernel specs (Visa qVSDC, Mastercard PayPass, Amex ExpressPay)
EMV 3-D Secure 2.0	Online authentication	Risk-based authentication, SCA compliance
EMV Payment Tokenisation	Token lifecycle	Device tokens for Apple Pay, Google Pay

Offline Data Authentication (ODA): EMV cards prove their authenticity without online connectivity using three mechanisms -- Static Data Authentication (SDA, RSA signature on static data, no cloning protection), Dynamic Data Authentication (DDA, card generates unique RSA signature per transaction), and Combined DDA/Application Cryptogram (CDA, strongest -- dynamic signature covers the transaction cryptogram).

ISO 7816 Standard Series

The ISO 7816 series defines the complete smart card communication stack from physical dimensions to application protocols:

Part	Title	Key Content
7816-1	Physical characteristics	85.6 x 53.98 x 0.76 mm, bending (10 N), UV, X-ray resistance
7816-2	Contacts	8-pin pad (C1-C8): VCC, RST, CLK, GND, VPP, I/O
7816-3	Electrical interface	ATR (Answer to Reset), PPS negotiation, T=0/T=1 protocols
7816-4	Commands (APDU)	CLA/INS/P1/P2/Lc/Le structure, response SW1-SW2
7816-5	AID registration	RID (5 bytes, registered) + PIX (up to 11 bytes, proprietary)
7816-6	Data elements	BER-TLV encoding, interindustry data objects
7816-8	Security commands	VERIFY, INTERNAL AUTHENTICATE, EXTERNAL AUTHENTICATE, key management
7816-9	Card management	Life cycle states, file creation/deletion, application management
7816-15	Crypto information	PKCS#15-compatible on-card certificate/key structure

APDU Communication

All smart card communication follows the APDU (Application Protocol Data Unit) structure defined in ISO 7816-4:

Command APDU: CLA | INS | P1 | P2 | Lc | Data | Le

Field	Size	Description
CLA	1 byte	Class byte (0x00=ISO, 0x80-0x8F=proprietary)
INS	1 byte	Instruction (0xA4=SELECT, 0xB0=READ BINARY, 0x20=VERIFY)
P1-P2	2 bytes	Parameters (file ID, record number, key reference)
Lc	0-3 bytes	Length of command data (absent if no data)
Data	Lc bytes	Command data payload
Le	0-3 bytes	Expected response data length

Response APDU: Data | SW1 | SW2

Status Word	Meaning
90 00	Success
61 XX	SW2 bytes of response data available (use GET RESPONSE)
6A 82	File or application not found
69 82	Security condition not satisfied
6A 86	Incorrect parameters P1-P2

Learn more: Standards Reference | Glossary

GlobalPlatform Card Management

GlobalPlatform specifications define how applications are loaded, installed, and managed on multi-application smart cards:

Component	Role	Key Function
Issuer Security Domain (ISD)	Card-level authority	Key management, secure channel, app lifecycle
Supplementary Security Domain (SSD)	Delegated authority	Third-party application management
OPEN (GP Environment)	Runtime	API dispatch, inter-applet firewall, registry
Secure Channel Protocol (SCP02/SCP03)	Session security	Mutual authentication, session keys, encrypted APDUs
DAP Verification	Code integrity	Data Authentication Pattern for applet loading

SCP03 (Secure Channel Protocol 03) provides AES-based session key derivation, mutual authentication, and command/response encryption with C-MAC/R-MAC integrity protection. It supersedes SCP02 (3DES-based) for new deployments and is mandatory for EMVCo-certified cards.

Form Factors

Form Factor	Dimensions (mm)	Primary Use
Full-size (ID-1)	85.6 x 53.98 x 0.76	Payment, identity, access
ID-000 (Plug-in)	25 x 15 x 0.76	Legacy SIM cards
Mini SIM (2FF)	25 x 15	GSM/3G phones
Micro SIM (3FF)	15 x 12	4G smartphones
Nano SIM (4FF)	12.3 x 8.8	Modern smartphones
Embedded SIM (MFF2)	6 x 5 (soldered)	IoT, M2M, wearables
iSIM	Integrated in SoC	Next-gen IoT (in silicon)

Modern SIM cards ship as multi-cut ("tri-cut" or "quad-cut") carriers that snap to Mini, Micro, or Nano sizes from a single ID-1 card blank. eSIM (GSMA Remote SIM Provisioning) enables over-the-air profile download without physical SIM swap -- now standard in iPhone 14+ (US), Apple Watch, and Samsung Galaxy flagship devices.

Security Certifications

Certification	Scope	Typical Level	Evaluation Time
Common Criteria (ISO 15408)	IC + OS + applets	EAL5+ (smart cards)	12-18 months
FIPS 140-2/140-3	Cryptographic modules	Level 2-3	6-12 months
EMVCo Security Evaluation	Payment card ICs	IC, Platform, Application	6-9 months
PCI PTS	Payment terminals	POI v6	3-6 months
ANSSI CSPN	French fast-track	Binary pass/fail	2-3 months

Learn more: Card Type Explorer | Platform Guide

API Endpoints

Free, no authentication required. JSON responses with CORS enabled.

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/card/{slug}/	Card type detail with specs
GET	/api/platform/{slug}/	Chip platform with features
GET	/api/standard/{slug}/	Standard detail with linked cards
GET	/api/manufacturer/{slug}/	Manufacturer with product lines
GET	/api/application/{slug}/	Application with card types
GET	/api/form-factor/{slug}/	Form factor with dimensions
GET	/api/certification/{slug}/	Certification with requirements
GET	/api/term/{slug}/	Glossary term definition
GET	/api/search/?q={query}	Search across all content types
GET	/api/compare/?a={slug}&b={slug}	Compare two card types
GET	/api/random/	Random card type discovery
GET	/api/openapi.json	OpenAPI 3.1.0 specification

Example

# Search for EMV card types
curl -s "https://smartcardfyi.com/api/search/?q=emv" | python -m json.tool

Full API documentation at smartcardfyi.com/api/. OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec: smartcardfyi.com/api/openapi.json.

Command-Line Interface

smartcardfyi search "java card"         # Search all content
smartcardfyi card emv-contact           # Card type detail
smartcardfyi compare java-card multos   # Side-by-side comparison
smartcardfyi random                     # Discover a random card type

MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "smartcardfyi": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": ["--from", "smartcardfyi[mcp]", "python", "-m", "smartcardfyi.mcp_server"]
        }
    }
}

Tools: smartcard_search, smartcard_lookup, smartcard_compare

REST API Client

from smartcardfyi.api import SmartCardFYI

with SmartCardFYI() as api:
    api.search("emv")                          # Full-text search
    api.card("emv-contact")                    # Card type detail
    api.platform("java-card")                  # Chip platform
    api.standard("iso-7816")                   # Standard detail
    api.manufacturer("nxp")                    # Manufacturer
    api.application("payment")                 # Application
    api.form_factor("id-1")                    # Form factor
    api.certification("common-criteria")       # Certification
    api.glossary_term("apdu")                  # Glossary term
    api.compare("java-card", "multos")         # Compare two cards
    api.random()                               # Random discovery
    api.openapi()                              # OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec

Learn More About Smart Cards

• Browse: Card Type Explorer · Platform Guide · Form Factors
• Reference: Standards · Certifications · Glossary
• API: REST API Docs · OpenAPI Spec

Also Available

Platform	Install	Link
npm	npm install smartcardfyi	npm
Go	go get github.com/fyipedia/smartcardfyi-go	pkg.go.dev
Rust	cargo add smartcardfyi	crates.io
Ruby	gem install smartcardfyi	rubygems.org
MCP	uvx --from "smartcardfyi[mcp]" python -m smartcardfyi.mcp_server	Config

Tag FYI Family

Part of the FYIPedia open-source developer tools ecosystem -- automatic identification and data capture technologies.

Site	Domain	Focus
BarcodeFYI	barcodefyi.com	518 records -- barcode symbologies, standards, GS1 prefixes
QRCodeFYI	qrcodefyi.com	425 records -- QR code types, versions, encoding modes
NFCFYI	nfcfyi.com	288 records -- NFC chips, NDEF records, standards
BLEFYI	blefyi.com	261 records -- BLE chips, GATT profiles, beacons
RFIDFYI	rfidfyi.com	318 records -- RFID tags, frequency bands, EPC schemes
SmartCardFYI	smartcardfyi.com	280 records -- smart cards, EMV, Java Card, platforms

FYIPedia Developer Tools

Package	PyPI	npm	Description
barcodefyi	PyPI	npm	Barcode symbologies, standards -- barcodefyi.com
qrcodefyi	PyPI	npm	QR code types, versions, encoding -- qrcodefyi.com
nfcfyi	PyPI	npm	NFC chips, NDEF, standards -- nfcfyi.com
blefyi	PyPI	npm	BLE profiles, beacons, chips -- blefyi.com
rfidfyi	PyPI	npm	RFID tags, readers, frequencies -- rfidfyi.com
smartcardfyi	PyPI	npm	Smart cards, EMV, platforms -- smartcardfyi.com

License

MIT