IDEX demonstrate contactless fingerprint sensor to card customers
Oslo, Norway, 12 October 2017 – IDEX, a leading developer of advanced fingerprint solutions for mass markets, is demonstrating its flexible, low power fingerprint sensor suitable for all contactless cards applications operating with standard NFC terminals.
Earlier this year IDEX launched its breakthrough low power, low cost ASIC specifically designed for contactless biometric card applications. Following this, IDEX announced a flexible sensor based on patented IDEX technology and incorporating this new ASIC. IDEX is now very pleased to report that it has begun sampling this new sensor for both contact and contact-less card applications. IDEX has been actively demonstrating this solution to leading card integrators and partners with excellent feedback. IDEX will also showcase the solution to the wider industry at Money20/20 in Las Vegas later in October.
“A fundamental challenge with biometric cards is that they cannot easily contain an internal power source and card manufacturers don’t want to use batteries because they are costly and difficult to maintain. This means that biometric cards must be powered by the card reader, either using direct contact or by collecting electrical power from a contactless radio field. The limited power in both of these methods puts extremely tight constraints on the biometric solution including the sensor”, says Dr Hemant Mardia, CEO of IDEX. “However, I’m very pleased to say that we at IDEX can now offer a biometric card system that works well for both contact and contact-less applications using existing card terminals.
Idex’s fingerprint sensor systems have been developed with several major ecosystem partners to meet the rapid growth in demand for more secure payment mechanisms.”
There are several key elements to IDEX’s sensors which solve card specific challenges:
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IDEX sensor images are large enough (over 80 square mm) to capture the larger image of the fingerprint needed for the constrained card system.
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The sensor’s size enables ultra-compact matching algorithms to be tuned optimally for low cost and low power memory constrained microprocessors that are essential for contactless applications.
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The system meets the low power requirements of a standard contactless card use, consuming less than 25 mW of power to capture the image. This has been achieved with a custom-designed sensing ASIC with a footprint 1/8th of the size of equivalent silicon sensors.
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The ASIC has on-board digital intelligence that supports both securely encrypted communication and advanced power management within the sensor.
The powerful combination of low cost, fully flexible sensor, reduced silicon ASIC footprint and standard contactless power harvesting technology means that IDEX’s contactless card design can be manufactured at very significantly lower cost than competing designs being proposed in the market today.
Reference cards containing this break-through IDEX sensor solution have passed critical energy harvesting tests needed to meet the ISO14443 standard which will allow card integrators to manufacture a biometric contactless card with the standard class 1 Antenna and NFC power management.
ISO compatibility, combined with excellent biometric recognition performance and low cost of standard contactless power components, means IDEX can demonstrate a compelling, contactless ready, biometric sensor solution, suitable for a wide range of biometric applications across the payment, social inclusion and identity markets.
Contact:
Charlotte Knudsen, Director of IR and Communications, +47 9756 1959, ck@idexbiometrics.com
Henrik Knudtzon, CFO, +47 9302 2827, hk@idexbiometrics.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/idexasa
About IDEX
IDEX is a leading developer of advanced fingerprint sensor technology and products. The company’s technology is used in a range of biometrically enabled applications within three core markets: smart cards, mobile, and Internet of Things (IoT). IDEX’s addressable market represents a fast-growing multi-billion unit opportunity.
IDEX’s technology includes both the conventional silicon sensor and a unique off-chip technology, which means that the company can offer its partners solutions which are flexible and cost efficient.
IDEX ASA (ticker IDEX) is a Norwegian company, founded in 1996 and listed on the Oslo stock exchange in 2010. For more information, please visit www.idexbiometrics.com
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.