Magnetic stripe card

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Magstripe (magnetic-stripe) cards are everywhere: bank cards, [http://cansecwest.com/slides06/csw06-malfunction.pdf hotel key cards], gift cards, transit ticket, id cards. They encode machine-readable data in a strip of magnetized material, usually located next to the long edge of the card. They most commonly appear in the approximate size and shape of a credit-card, though airline boarding passes, mass-transit fare cards, and many other varied forms exist. The underlying technology is the same, though: a sequence of alternately-polarized magnetic stripes which are read with a magnetic head similar to that found in any cassette player.
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Magstripe (magnetic-stripe) cards are everywhere: bank cards, [http://cansecwest.com/slides06/csw06-malfunction.pdf hotel key cards], gift cards, transit tickets, ID cards. They encode machine-readable data in a strip of magnetized material, usually located next to the long edge of the card. They most commonly appear in the approximate size and shape of a credit-card, though airline boarding passes, mass-transit fare cards, and many other varied forms exist. The underlying technology is the same, though: a sequence of alternately-polarized magnetic stripes which are read with a magnetic head similar to that found in any cassette player.
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== Data formats ==
  
Data formats:
 
* [[ISO/IEC_7813]]
 
 
* [[ANSI/ISO ALPHA Data Format]]
 
* [[ANSI/ISO ALPHA Data Format]]
 
* [[ANSI/ISO BCD Data Format]]
 
* [[ANSI/ISO BCD Data Format]]
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* [[ISO/IEC_7813]]
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* [[TI-59 magnetic card]] (saves programs from programmable calculator)
  
 
== Making a reader ==
 
== Making a reader ==
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== More sources ==
 
== More sources ==
  
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_stripe_card Wikipedia page] has good details
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* [[Wikipedia:Magnetic stripe card|Wikipedia page]] has good details
 
* [http://www.abacus21.com/Magnetic-Strip-Encoding-1586.html Magnetic Strip Encoding Standards]
 
* [http://www.abacus21.com/Magnetic-Strip-Encoding-1586.html Magnetic Strip Encoding Standards]
 
* [http://www.hhhh.org/~joeboy/resources/magcards/ ALPHA and BCD format info]  
 
* [http://www.hhhh.org/~joeboy/resources/magcards/ ALPHA and BCD format info]  
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* [http://www.gae.ucm.es/~padilla/extrawork/stripe.html collection of resources]
 
* [http://www.gae.ucm.es/~padilla/extrawork/stripe.html collection of resources]
 
* [http://www.textfiles.com/anarchy/CARDING/ Textfiles.com things related to cloning cards]
 
* [http://www.textfiles.com/anarchy/CARDING/ Textfiles.com things related to cloning cards]
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== Other links ==
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* [http://secondavenuesagas.com/2013/02/19/debuting-a-universal-metrocard-that-falls-short/ Debuting a universal MetroCard that falls short]
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* [http://mentalfloss.com/article/50199/how-does-plastic-bag-fix-buggy-credit-card How Does a Plastic Bag Fix a Buggy Credit Card?]
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* [http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/the-long-life-and-imminent-death-of-the-magstripe-card The long life and imminent death of the magstripe card]

Latest revision as of 17:41, 10 June 2013

File Format
Name Magnetic stripe card
Ontology

Magstripe (magnetic-stripe) cards are everywhere: bank cards, hotel key cards, gift cards, transit tickets, ID cards. They encode machine-readable data in a strip of magnetized material, usually located next to the long edge of the card. They most commonly appear in the approximate size and shape of a credit-card, though airline boarding passes, mass-transit fare cards, and many other varied forms exist. The underlying technology is the same, though: a sequence of alternately-polarized magnetic stripes which are read with a magnetic head similar to that found in any cassette player.

Contents

[edit] Data formats

[edit] Making a reader

Magnetic card readers capable of decoding the data formats used for credit cards are available pretty cheaply on the Internet, but for arbitrary formats you might need the raw data on the card. It's pretty easy to build a reader that uses a soundcard's DAC to capture the signal, by wiring a tape-head from a cassette player to an audio plug, and using a ruler to line up the tape head as you run it along the desired track. (more detailed instructions)

[edit] Binary encoding

Modern cards are usually Aiken Biphase (aka F2F).

Python script to decode Aiken Biphase from a WAV file

Count Zero's canonical walkthrough of magstripe technology from Phrack 37

[edit] More sources

[edit] Other links

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