NXP MIFARE® DESFire® Light

NXP MIFARE® DESFire® Light is a versatile contactless smart card platform serving the requirements of applications managed by one single entity. Offering a powerful mix between performance, security, privacy and flexibility. It addresses the needs of limited use and simple extended use applications. Based on these parameters MIFARE DESFire Light is a trusted platform targeting the secure authentication of people with an intuitive convenient user experience.

MIFARE DESFire Light is fully compliant with the contactless proximity smart card protocol according to ISO/IEC 14443-4 and ISO/IEC 7816-4 communication frames making it compatible with the majority of existing contactless infrastructure devices and with NFC devices, such as NFC enabled mobile handsets. Its contactless performance supports superior user convenience and reading distances up to 10 cm.

MIFARE DESFire Light has a file-based memory structure compliant to ISO/IEC 7816-4 with a fixed, pre-defined configuration of six individual files (EF). The pre-defined configuration enables various use cases and allows the management of data according to best practice. Organized in one single directory (DF) and configurable access rights per file it enables different use cases of one issuing instance. MIFARE DESFire Light offers three individual standard data files with totally 544 bytes of memory for storage of application-specific data. The value file with a stored signed integer value and an upper and lower limit enables fast, flexible and secure implementation of monetary transactions, e.g. for micropayment applications. The cyclic record file with 4 entries of 16 bytes each enables an on-card logging of transactions.

As a contactless platform, MIFARE DESFire Light includes a powerful transaction management. This transaction management ensures data and transaction consistency supporting applications with the avoidance of disrupted or incomplete transactions. The optional Transaction Message Authentication (TMAC) further enables operators of, e.g., payment applications with a cryptographic checksum over the complete transaction enabling the verification of a transaction by a clearing entity.

MIFARE DESFire Light offers AES-based security features for authentication and data transfer over the contactless interface. The required level of security is defined by the needs of the application and can be done on a file basis. With 5 customer defined keys, MIFARE DESFire Light supports a key management addressing the organizational and security needs of the issuing entity.

Beside the standard AES implementation, MIFARE DESFire Light offers an alternative AES-based protocol for authentication and secure messaging using a Leakage Resilient Primitive, LRP. The LRP works as a wrapper around the AES cryptography and enhances side-channel and fault resistance.

MIFARE DESFire Light contains features like the fully encrypted communication mode enabling contactless applications to address privacy sensitive applications. With its optional support of Random ID, it enables compliance with latest user data protection regulations.

Users of MIFARE DESFire Light can change the application identifier (AID) and the file identifiers (FID) according to their needs enabling compatibility with existing data models. This further enables users to complement their use cases with an NFC forum-compliant Type 4 Tag in order to enable additional, end-user centric services, such as business card sharing or pairing with a network.

MIFARE DESFire Light is compatible with MIFARE DESFire EV2, a secure multiapplication platform. Through this compatibility single application running on MIFARE DESFire Light can become part of a multi-application solution, combining applications from different entities, with minimal system impact.

MIFARE DESFire Light is designed to support standards Class 1 smart cards antenna designs with a 17 pF input capacitance as well as smaller form factors, i.e. key fobs, wristbands, by providing 50 pF input capacitance delivery forms. This ensures high user convenience throughout different form factors.

DESFire’s are available in PVC and Composite PET/PVC card construction, the MIFARE DESFire Light card is exceptionally durable and can accept an embeddable SAM card for logical access and biometric ID systems.