Mifare DESfire EV1 vs EV2: it's a decision many make when deciding on the access control solution that best fits them. In this blog, we'll examine the differences between the two and hopefully demonstrate why the latter is the better choice for access control.
But first…
What is MIFARE DESFire EV1 and EV2?
The first Mifare Cards arrived in 1994 as a product of NXP and have since undergone several upgrades to ensure they remain as secure as possible. The DESFire contactless range was introduced in 2002 to mitigate the risks associated with low-frequency MIFARE Classic cards (these cards have been vulnerable to hacking since at least 2007). In addition to Mifare Cards, Mifare Keytags are common in our daily life
The range has since spawned multiple generations including the two we are looking at today: EV1 and EV2. Key applications for these products include:
Access control
Identity Loyalty cards
Public transportation ticketing
Micropayments
If you're wondering what DESFire means, the 'DES' is indicative of the high-security level the cards use (3DES and or AES hardware). The 'Fire' element represents the cards' key qualities: fast, innovative, reliable, and secure.
EV1 vs EV2: What's the same?
Despite there being numerous differences in the overall security and performance of the pair, EV1 and EV2 both operate at a frequency of 13.56MHz and use the same highly secure AES-128 encryption. This means they can both be easily configured to work interchangeably. So, those wishing to upgrade from EV1 to EV2 can be sure existing card readers will work for the newer technology.
EV1 vs EV2: What's the difference?
But now what you really want to know: the differences. EV2 introduces many benefits including:
A longer read range
More secure EAL5+ certification
Proximity check
Unlimited application uses
Backward compatibility
EV1 vs EV2 Comparison Table
Hopefully the above will have given you a little insight into the difference between EV1 and Ev2. To give you a full overview, however, S4A included a comparison chart below. This goes into more technical detail regarding the differences between the two.
MIFARE DESFire EV1 | MIFARE DESFire EV2 | |
ISO/IEC 14443 A 1-4 | Yes | Yes |
ISO/IEC 7816-4 support | Extended | Extended |
EEPROM data memory | 2/4/8KB | 2/4/6/8/16/32KB |
Flexible file structure | Yes | Yes |
NFC Forum Tag Type4 | Yes | Yes |
Unique ID | 7B UID or 4B RID | 7B UID or 4B RID |
Number of applications | 28 | Unlimited until memory full |
Number of files per app | 32 | 32 |
Data rates supported | Up to 848Kbit/s | Up to 848Kbit/s |
Crypto algorithms | DES/2K3DES/3K3DES/AES128 | DES/2K3DES/3K3DES/AES128 |
Certification | EAL4+ | EAL5+ |
Delegated Application Management (Multi-App) | No | Yes |
Transaction MAC per app | – | Yes |
Multiple keysets per app | – | Up to 16 keysets |
Multiple file access rights | – | Up to 8 keys |
Inter-app file sharing | – | Yes |
Virtual Card Architecture | – | Yes |
Proximity Check | – | Yes |
Delivery types | Wafer, MOA4 & MOA8 | Wafer, MOA4 & MOB6 |
Author: Written by Ms.Anna Zhang from S4A INDUSTRIAL CO., LIMITED
Factory Address:Building S4A, South Third Lane, Qiuyuling Street, Zhangkeng Village, Hengli Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province Office Address:#601,floor 6 ,building 1,JINFANGHUA industrial zone, Bantian St. Longgang Dist. Shenzhen, PRC.
If you are interested in our products and want to know more details,please leave a message here,we will reply you as soon as we can.