ISO IEC TR 18268-2013 PDF

Full title and description

Identification cards — Contactless integrated circuit cards — Proximity cards — Multiple PICCs in a single PCD field. This Technical Report collates industry experience and practical observations about technical issues that arise when more than one PICC (proximity integrated circuit card or object) is present within the RF field of a single PCD (proximity coupling device), and it explores usage scenarios such as electronic travel documents with multiple visas and wallets containing multi‑industry cards.

Abstract

ISO/IEC TR 18268:2013 describes how the presence of multiple PICCs in a single PCD field can affect system behaviour: shifts in resonance frequencies, reduction in effective field strength seen by individual PICCs, increased loading on the PCD, changes to the local modulation signal and identity-management considerations to support simultaneous usage. The report is intended as a collation of observed issues and guidance rather than normative prescriptions.

General information

• Status: Published (Technical Report).
• Publication date: 10 December 2013.
• Publisher: ISO/IEC (joint publication; produced under ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17).
• ICS / categories: 35.240.15 (Identification cards and related devices).
• Edition / version: Edition 1.0 (2013).
• Number of pages: 11 pages.

Details above are taken from the ISO and IEC product records for ISO/IEC TR 18268:2013.

Scope

This Technical Report presents a collation of industry experience of technical issues resulting from the presence of multiple PICCs in the field of a single PCD. It describes observed phenomena (resonance frequency shifts, reduced H‑field at individual PICCs, loading effects on the PCD, and modulation/communication impacts) and describes identity‑management and usage scenarios (for example multiple visas in an electronic passport or multiple cards in a wallet). The report provides guidance and examples to help implementers understand and mitigate multi‑PICC interactions but does not define new normative air‑interface requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Observed effects of multiple PICCs in one PCD field: resonance frequency shifts and detuning of card antennas.
• Reduction in effective H‑field and the impact on card powering and activation ranges.
• Loading of the PCD by multiple tags and consequent changes to field strength and waveform characteristics.
• Changes to local modulation and signal quality that can affect communication robustness.
• Recommendations on PICC identity management and anti‑collision / selection behaviours to support simultaneous or near‑simultaneous usage.
• Example scenarios (electronic passports with multiple visas, multi‑industry wallet use cases) illustrating practical implications.

The list above summarizes the principal topics and practical recommendations reported in the Technical Report.

Typical use and users

Primary users are contactless card and reader designers, system integrators, test laboratories, national document and passport authorities, government identity programs, payment system engineers and NFC/RFID solution architects who need to understand and mitigate interactions when multiple proximity cards are present in the reader field. The report is intended for implementers seeking empirical guidance rather than for organisations needing normative protocol changes.

Related standards

Standards commonly used alongside or referenced when working with proximity cards and multi‑PICC scenarios include the ISO/IEC 14443 series (proximity card air‑interface parts 1–4), ISO/IEC 10373‑6 (test methods for proximity cards), ISO/IEC 15693 (vicinity cards), and NFC/RFID family standards such as ISO/IEC 18092. Implementers typically consult TR 18268 together with the ISO/IEC 14443 specifications and relevant test standards to develop and verify products.

Keywords

Contactless cards, PICC, PCD, proximity cards, RFID, NFC, resonance frequency, field loading, modulation, identity management, electronic passport, multi‑card wallet.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC TR 18268:2013 is a Technical Report that collates industry experience and observations about the technical behaviour and practical issues that occur when multiple proximity integrated circuit cards (PICCs) are present in the RF field of a single proximity coupling device (PCD). It is guidance‑oriented rather than a normative protocol standard.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers observed effects (resonance detuning, reduced field strength at individual cards, increased loading on the reader, modulation and communication changes) and proposes identity and usage considerations to support simultaneous or multi‑card scenarios, with example use cases such as passports with multiple visas and wallets holding multiple cards.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Card and reader manufacturers, systems integrators, testing labs, government identity and passport authorities, payment system engineers and researchers working on contactless card interoperability and robustness. The report helps these stakeholders understand and mitigate multi‑card interactions.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The ISO record lists ISO/IEC TR 18268 as published in December 2013 and shows the document as a published Technical Report; there is no indication on the ISO product page that TR 18268:2013 has been superseded. Users should check the ISO/IEC catalogue or national standards bodies for any later revisions or national adoptions before use.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: TR 18268 sits within the broader family of ISO/IEC identification‑card standards produced under ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17 and is most often used in conjunction with the ISO/IEC 14443 series (proximity cards) and related test standards (ISO/IEC 10373‑6). It is a Technical Report (TR) rather than a multi‑part normative standard.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Contactless cards, PICC, PCD, proximity, resonance, detuning, field loading, modulation, identity management, e‑passport, wallet.