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BS ISO/IEC 11694 — Identification Cards Optical Memory Cards Linear Recording Method Series
Identification cards — Optical memory cards — Linear recording method (ISO/IEC 11694 series)
🖼️ BS ISO/IEC 11694 is the UK implementation, published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), of the ISO/IEC 11694 international series. It specifies technical requirements for optical memory cards (identification cards with an embedded optical recording medium) using the linear recording method. Prepared under the responsibility of BSI Technical Committee IST/17 (Cards and personal identification), it covers the card’s physical characteristics, the dimensions and location of the accessible optical area, and the optical properties and read/write performance, providing a unified basis for designing and manufacturing large-capacity information carriers such as healthcare cards and identity cards.
💡 Unlike the magnetic stripe and chip, an optical memory card records information with a laser on an optical layer. It offers high recording density, on-site write capability, and immunity to electromagnetic interference — ideal for applications needing portable, large-capacity, traceable data.
1. Series Overview and Background 📌
An optical memory card embeds an optical recording medium inside a standard-size card. A laser writes recognizable marks onto the optical layer to store data, enabling offline, secure, large-capacity information management that can be combined with personal identity information. The ISO/IEC 11694 series unifies the physical and optical requirements across its parts, and BSI implemented it as British Standards, forming the BS ISO/IEC 11694 series.
The parts build on each other: Part 1 specifies card construction and physical characteristics (transparent layer, optical layer, protective layer), Part 2 specifies the dimensions and location of the accessible optical area (dimensions C, X, Y, and skew), Part 3 specifies optical properties and read/write test conditions, and Parts 5 and 6 add data recording and related requirements.
⚠️ In this batch, BS ISO/IEC 11694-5:2014 and BS ISO/IEC 11694-6:2014 are scanned editions; their content here is summarized from public domain knowledge. Always refer to the official BSI published version for exact clauses.
2. Series Structure and Technical Highlights 📋
| Standard | Part Title | Year | Key Technical Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS ISO/IEC 11694-1:2012 | Physical characteristics | 2012 | Card construction, dimensions, transparent/optical/protective layer characteristics and physical requirements |
| BS ISO/IEC 11694-2:2012 | Dimensions and location of the accessible optical area | 2012 | Accessible optical area dimensions C, X, Y, skew, and locating requirements |
| BS ISO/IEC 11694-3:2015 | Optical properties and characteristics | 2015 | Read/write test conditions, optical properties, minimum performance characteristics |
| BS ISO/IEC 11694-5:2014 | Supplementary part (scanned edition) | 2014 | Summarized from public domain knowledge; involves data recording format or verification |
| BS ISO/IEC 11694-6:2014 | Supplementary part (scanned edition) | 2014 | Summarized from public domain knowledge; involves application or testing supplementary requirements |
💡 The accessible optical area is the key window for reading and writing an optical card. Its dimensions and skew directly determine whether the read/write head can locate precisely; the provisions for X, Y coordinates and skew guarantee compatibility across different devices.
3. Key Technical Requirements 🔧
3.1 Card Construction and Physical Characteristics (Part 1)
Part 1 specifies the card’s multi-layer construction, including the transparent layer (protecting the information surface), the optical layer (recording medium), and the protective layer, and sets limits on card dimensions, warpage, and surface distortions. The transparency of the transparent layer, the recording characteristics of the optical layer, and the abrasion resistance of the protective layer together determine the card’s environmental adaptability and life.
3.2 Accessible Optical Area (Part 2)
Part 2 specifies the dimensions and location of the accessible optical area, defining key parameters such as dimensions C, X, Y, and skew, so that the read/write head can locate the recording area stably and accurately and read/write failures due to positioning deviation are avoided.
3.3 Optical Properties and Read/Write Performance (Part 3)
Part 3 specifies read/write test conditions (default test environment, conditioning) and optical properties, giving minimum performance characteristics such as contrast of recorded marks, reflectance change, and bit-error-rate limits, ensuring that cards can be reliably written and read under the specified service conditions.
🚨 Use and storage essentials: the optical recording surface should be kept free of scratches, contamination, and direct strong light; use read/write equipment with a matched wavelength and follow the specified environmental temperature and humidity conditions to prevent degradation of the optical layer.
4. Engineering Practice and Applications 🛠️
- 🔍 Card body design: determine the multi-layer structure and optical-area location per the standard, balancing capacity, durability, and cost.
- 🔧 Read/write equipment: design the optical system and positioning mechanism per the accessible optical area and optical characteristic requirements.
- 📊 Data recording: verify write quality under Part 3 test conditions and keep bit-error rate within the standard limits.
- 📋 Industry use: optical cards are widely used for medical records, health archives, and personal identity management, where cross-device readability must be guaranteed.
✅ Following the series ensures interoperability of optical cards across different read/write devices, supporting applications such as healthcare and identity that demand both data reliability and portability.
5. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: How do optical memory cards differ from magnetic stripe and chip cards?
A: An optical card records information with a laser on an optical layer, offering higher storage density, offline large-capacity writing, and immunity to electromagnetic interference; magnetic and chip cards suit different scenarios, while optical cards fit applications needing a lot of portable data.
A: An optical card records information with a laser on an optical layer, offering higher storage density, offline large-capacity writing, and immunity to electromagnetic interference; magnetic and chip cards suit different scenarios, while optical cards fit applications needing a lot of portable data.
❓ Q: Why are the dimensions and location of the accessible optical area so important?
A: The read/write head must locate the recording area precisely for stable reading and writing; if dimensions C, X, Y, and skew are not unified, positioning deviation occurs between different devices, causing read/write failure.
A: The read/write head must locate the recording area precisely for stable reading and writing; if dimensions C, X, Y, and skew are not unified, positioning deviation occurs between different devices, causing read/write failure.
❓ Q: What environmental requirements apply to optical cards?
A: Avoid scratches, contamination, and direct strong light, and keep temperature and humidity within the standard’s specified range; otherwise the optical layer may degrade and the bit-error rate may rise.
A: Avoid scratches, contamination, and direct strong light, and keep temperature and humidity within the standard’s specified range; otherwise the optical layer may degrade and the bit-error rate may rise.
🔍 Q: How is data reliability on an optical card ensured?
A: Read/write test conditions specified by the standard verify the contrast and reflectance of recorded marks, and checksum mechanisms control the bit-error rate, keeping data readable over the long term.
A: Read/write test conditions specified by the standard verify the contrast and reflectance of recorded marks, and checksum mechanisms control the bit-error rate, keeping data readable over the long term.