🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Aug30.150642.1@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz> landall_v@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>Hi
>
>Could someone plase tell me how the NZ Phone cards are coded and/or the other
>Plastic Cards with magnetic strips on them.
>
>I would like to make a Plastic Card Reader (NOT A WRITER (Well not yet ;-) )).
>
>Does anyone know how the data is writen on then (ie binary) and how to get the
>data from the card to the serial port?
>
>THANKS in advance...
>-Landall_V@Kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
>

I have found a magnetic card stripe reader in a surplus store,
(maybe from a pay phone).  It had three open collector outputs for
the electric eye (card detect), strobe, and data.

I interfaced these to a parallel input port and played with the
software until the bit stream was repeatable.

A trip to the library turned up the documentation on the data 
format for the financial institutions use of magnetic stripe cards.
This was years ago and I have just recently started looking for it
again myself.

The first library I have been to this week does not have the
publications but did have an index.  Try looking for
ANSI X9.2 or ANSI X4.21 or ISO 7811/2, /4, and /5.

I will have to make a trip to Toronto to find these again.  I am
not sure which one it is.  This standard gives the format of the
first track of the cards.  I have been able to read the number and
expiry date from cards like VISA, American Express, Canadian Tire,
and all banks that I have come across.

The American Express card has a wider stripe and contains 2 or 3
tracks of data.  The other tracks contain the members name and like
information.  My simple reader only access the first track; good
enough to make an electronic combination lock.

Good luck.
		Richard

-- 
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