50 PCS SLE4442 256-Byte Contact IC Smart Card with ISO 7816 and 3-Byte PSC

The 4442-IC-Card is a contact-type smart card built around the SLE4442 secure memory chip, one of the most widely deployed contact IC cards in the world. The card body is made of PVC and measures 86mm × 54mm × 0.9mm, the standard CR80 credit-card format. Unlike contactless RFID cards, a contact smart card must be physically inserted into a card reader, where the gold-plated contact plate connects the embedded chip to the reader’s electrical interface. The card requires no battery; it draws its operating power directly from the reader.

The SLE4442 chip provides 256 bytes of EEPROM organized as 256 × 8 bits, with byte-wise addressing. The lowest 32 bytes are protected by an irreversible byte-wise write-protection mechanism using a 32 × 1-bit protection memory, allowing critical data such as card identifiers or balances to be permanently locked after programming. Write and erase access to the main memory is controlled by a 3-byte programmable security code (PSC); once the correct code is presented, the card remains writable until power is removed. The chip also tracks password errors and blocks further attempts after three consecutive failures, providing a basic layer of logical security.

The card operates from a 5V DC supply with a maximum supply current of 10mA, and its minimum write/erase time is 2.5ms per byte. Endurance is rated at at least 100,000 write/erase cycles for the chip, while the Aftab Rayaneh listing describes the card as supporting at least 10 million write operations; data retention is at least 10 years. The operating temperature range is 0°C to +70°C, and the card is waterproof due to its plastic construction. Communication follows the ISO 7816-3 standard using a two-wire link protocol (I/O and CLK, plus RST), with the answer-to-reset (ATR) sequence used for card identification.

Typical applications include hotel door keys, access-control systems, home automation, exhibition and product-identification cards, membership and loyalty programs, health cards, school cards, vending cards, and stored-value cards for copiers and laundry machines. The SLE4442 is compatible with a broad ecosystem of contact card readers and is often used as a low-cost secure memory card where a simple, password-protected EEPROM is sufficient.