It is an international standard that defines the proximity cards used in Near Field Communication (NFC) operations and the transmission protocols used to communicate with them. It consists of 4 parts. Part 4 covers operations requiring near field communication, such as NFC and HCE.
- ISO/IEC 14443-4: 2008 Part 4: Transmission protocol: Defines a messaging protocol used to communicate with proximity cards. For example, this part defines the format of a message used to read data from a card or write data to a card. The same messaging protocol applies to both Type A and Type B cards.
The four parts of the standard
- 14443-1 Physical characteristics: Defines the physical requirements of the card, such as its dimensions and durability.
- 14443-2 Radio frequency and signal interface: Specifies how communication between the card and the reader takes place at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, including power transfer and modulation methods.
- 14443-3 Initialization and anti-collision: Defines how a card entering the reader's field is recognized and how the correct card is selected when multiple cards are read at the same time.
- 14443-4 Transmission protocol: Specifies the rules for data exchange between the card and the reader.
The difference between Type A and Type B
The standard defines two different communication methods, Type A and Type B. The main difference between them lies in the modulation of the radio signal and the encoding method. Payment cards and readers generally support both types, so regardless of which type the card uses, the reader can communicate with it.
Relationship with payment systems
ISO/IEC 14443 is designed for "proximity cards," and the communication distance is limited to a few centimeters. This short range is a security advantage for payment transactions, as it makes it difficult to read the card remotely without the cardholder's knowledge.
Contactless cards, contactless POS readers, and NFC payments made via phone are all built on this standard. EMVCo's contactless payment specifications are also based on this standard at the physical communication layer. In mobile payments made with HCE, the phone behaves like a card speaking the 14443-4 protocol to the reader.
