ISO/IEC 8484:2014

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 8484
Second edition
2014-08-15
Information technology — Magnetic
stripes on savingsbooks
Technologies de l’information — Zone magnétique des livrets
d’épargne
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2014
© ISO/IEC 2014
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO/IEC 2014 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Conformance . 1
3 Normative references . 1
4 Terms and definitions . 2
5 Physical characteristics of the savingsbook cover . 3
5.1 Magnetic stripe area warpage. 4
5.2 Surface distortions . 4
5.3 Stiffness . 4
5.4 Materials . 5
6 Physical characteristics of the magnetic stripe . 5
6.1 Location . 5
6.2 Surface profile of the magnetic stripe area. 6
6.3 Height of the magnetic stripe area . 6
6.4 Surface roughness . 6
6.5 Adhesion of stripe to savingsbook . 6
6.6 Resistance to environment . 6
7 Performance characteristics for the magnetic material . 6
7.1 General . 6
7.2 Testing and operating environment . 7
7.3 Signal amplitude requirements for magnetic media . 7
8 Encoding technique . 8
9 Encoding specification. 9
9.1 Angle of recording . 9
9.2 Nominal bit density .10
9.3 Signal amplitude requirements for track .10
9.4 Bit configuration .10
9.5 Direction of recording .10
9.6 Leading and trailing zeroes .10
9.7 Average bit density .11
9.8 Flux transition spacing variation .11
9.9 Coded character set .12
9.10 Maximum number of characters .12
9.11 Re-recording.12
10 Error detection .13
10.1 Parity .13
10.2 Longitudinal redundancy check (LRC) .13
11 Location of encoded track .13
Annex A (normative) Optional high coercivity magnetic stripe .15
Bibliography .16
© ISO/IEC 2014 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical
activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the
work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee,
ISO/IEC JTC 1.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction
and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, Subcommittee SC
17, Cards and personal identification.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 8484:2007) which has been technically
revised with the following changes:
— The primary standard cards held by Q-Card are used to calibrate the manufacture of secondary
reference cards. Other primary standard cards held by PTB and Card testing International (CTI) are
used as backup to replace cards held by Q-Card as they wear out.
— The supplier of secondary reference cards has changed from PTB to Q-Card. Wherever possible, the
terms and definitions, criteria and test methods have been taken from ISO/IEC 7811-2.
Most of the magnetic characteristics are based on ISO/IEC 7811. Because savingsbooks are generally
paper-based documents, some criteria and test methods have been taken from ISO/IEC 15457-2.
Notes in this International Standard are only used for giving additional information intended to assist in
the understanding or use of the International Standard and do not contain provisions or requirements to
which it is necessary to conform in order to be able to claim compliance with this International Standard.
NOTE Numbers for signal amplitude and flux transition spacing variation are taken from ISO/IEC 7811-2 and
ISO/IEC 15457-2 and are based on testing performed on sample passbooks at two test facilities.
iv © ISO/IEC 2014 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 8484:2014(E)
Information technology — Magnetic stripes on
savingsbooks
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies the characteristics and location of a magnetic stripe on a
savingsbook as defined in Clause 4 and the use of such savingsbooks for international interchange.
Compatibility with international interchange systems is provided through the requirements of this
International Standard, enabling a savingsbook with a magnetic stripe to be read and possibly encoded
in a device that is compatible with reading identification cards used in international interchange.
This International Standard specifies requirements for a magnetic stripe (including any protective
overlay) on a savingsbook, the encoding technique, and coded character sets. It also specifies the
characteristics of the savingsbook cover such as stiffness, minimum size, surface irregularities,
roughness, and interaction between the cover material and the magnetic stripe. It takes into consideration
both human and machine aspects and states minimum requirements.
Coercivity influences many of the quantities specified in this International Standard but is not itself
specified. Exposure of the savingsbook to a magnetic field is likely to destroy the recorded data.
This International Standard defines performance criteria for savingsbooks. No consideration is given
within this International Standard to the amount of use, if any, experienced by the savingsbook prior to
test. Failure to conform to specified criteria will be negotiated between the involved parties.
ISO/IEC 10373-2 specifies the test procedures used to check savingsbooks against the parameters
specified in this International Standard. References in the test method to cards refer to savingsbooks.
NOTE 1 Numeric values in the SI and/or Imperial measurement system in this International Standard might
have been rounded off and are therefore consistent with, but not exactly equal to, each other. Either system can
be used, but the two are not be intermixed or reconverted. The original design was made using the Imperial
measurement system.
NOTE 2 National systems can use different specifications, such as DIN, as well as proprietary specifications for
closed systems.
2 Conformance
A savingsbook is in conformance with this International Standard if it meets all mandatory requirements
specified herein. Default values apply if no others are specified.
3 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 2493, Paper and board — Determination of resistance to bending
ISO 4287, Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) — Surface texture: Profile method — Terms, definitions
and surface texture parameters
ISO/IEC 10373-2, Identification cards — Test methods — Part 2: Cards with magnetic stripes
© ISO/IEC 2014 – All rights reserved 1

4 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
4.1
primary standard
set of reference cards established by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and maintained by
PTB, Q-Card, and WG1 secretariat that represent the values of U and I designated RM 7811-2
R R
4.2
secondary standard
reference card designated RM 7811-2 that is related to the primary standard as stated in the calibration
certificate supplied with each card
Note 1 to entry: Secondary standards can be ordered from Q-Card, 301 Reagan St., Sunbury, PA 17801, USA. The
source of secondary standards will be maintained at least until 2018.
4.3
unused unencoded savingsbook
savingsbook possessing all the components required for its intended purpose, which has not been
subjected to any personalization or testing operation, and which has been stored in a clean environment
with no more than a 48 h exposure to daylight at temperatures between 5 °C and 30 °C and a humidity
between 10 % and 90 % without experiencing thermal shock
4.4
unused encoded savingsbook
unused unencoded savingsbook (4.3) that has only been encoded with all the data required for its intended
purpose (e.g. magnetic encoding, electronic encoding)
4.5
returned savingsbook
unused encoded savingsbook (4.4) after it has been issued to the savingsbook holder and returned for the
purpose of testing
4.6
flux transition
location of the greatest rate of change with distance of the magnetisation
4.7
reference current
I
R
minimum recorded current amplitude under the given test conditions that causes, on the reference card,
a readback signal amplitude equal to 80 % of the reference signal amplitude, U at a density of 8 flux
R,
transitions per millimetre (200 flux transitions per inch) as shown in Figure 4
4.8
reference flux level
F
R
flux level in the test head that corresponds to the reference current, I
R
4.9
test recording currents
two recording currents defined by
I = recording current corresponding to 3,5 F
min R
I = recording current corresponding to 5,0 F
max R
2 © ISO/IEC 2014 – All rights reserved

4.10
individual signal amplitude
U
i
base-to-peak amplitude of a single readback voltage signal
4.11
average signal amplitude
U
A
sum of the absolute value of the amplitude of each signal peak, U , divided by the number of signal peaks,
i
n, for a given track over the length of the magnetic stripe area
4.12
reference signal amplitude
U
R
maximum value of the average signal amplitude of a reference card corrected to the primary standard
4.13
physical recording density
number of flux transitions per unit length recorded on a track
4.14
bit density
number of data bits stored per unit of length
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in bits/mm or bpi.
4.15
bit cell
distance between two clocking flux transitions as shown in Figure 8
4.16
subinterval
distance that is nominally half of the distance between two clocking flux transitions as shown in Figure 8
4.17
savingsbook
bound and folded document comprising at least a front and back cover, usually made of paper-based
materials, for identifying its holder and issuer, and which may carry data required as input for the
intended use for transactions based thereon
4.18
normal use
use as a savingsbook (4.17), involving equipment pr
...