What is magnetic stripe encoder?
Magnetic stripe readers and magnetic stripe encoders are devices that read and encode magnetic stripe cards such as driver’s licenses, employee badges, and credit cards. A high-coercivity magnetic stripe writer may write to only high-coercivity cards.
What is Lo Co and Hi Co?
High-performance HiCo cards have magnetic stripes that are almost always black in color. LoCo cards, on the other hand, have brownish magnetic stripes.
What is a HiCo stripe?
High Coervicity or “HiCo” These cards are coded with a black colored magnetic stripe at 2750 oersted which makes the card more durable when exposed to an outside magnetic field. The higher the coercivity level of the stripe, the stronger the magnetic field has to be in order to change the data on the card.
What is a magnetic stripe used for?
Magnetic stripe cards are commonly used in credit cards, identity cards, and transportation tickets. They may also contain an RFID tag, a transponder device and/or a microchip mostly used for business premises access control or electronic payment.
How do you use a magnetic stripe encoder?
To use magnetic stripe cards, you will first print your card design and then encode the cards. Once they are encoded, you’ll need a magnetic stripe reader to read and decode the data. Finally, you will need a system or software that will interpret and use the data on the cards.
What is the difference between HiCo and LoCo magnetic stripe?
LoCo magnetic stripe cards are ideal for short-term applications where high security and long-lasting card life are less of a concern. The magnetic stripes on these cards are more of a brownish hue, while HiCo mag stripes are almost black in color.
What are LoCo cards?
LoCo magnetic stripe cards are generally brown in color and they are encoded at a low-intensity magnetic field (300 Oersted). LoCo cards are typically used for short-term applications including hotel room keys and season passes for theme parks, amusement parks, and water parks.
What is the difference between a smart card and a magnetic stripe card?
Unlike smart cards, magnetic stripe cards are passive devices that contain no circuits. These cards are sometimes called swipe cards: they are read when swiped through a card reader. Many international credit cards are smart cards, while magnetic stripe cards are more commonly used as credit cards in the United States.
How long do magnetic strips last?
The letter states that the “physical lifetimes for digital magnetic tape are at least 10 to 20 years.”