RollCall Scan Media Compatibility

Overview
The RollCall system is designed for use with RollCall or custom branded NFC tags (by default) and/or additionally the Mifare Classic (1K) RFID cards. This document details the compatibility of the MiFare Classic (1K) card and the limited compatibility of other RFID card types.

The NFC reader in the driver device reliably reads the immutable UID (Unique Identifier) from sector 0 of the MiFare Classic card, using the default key and then can convert the UID into various formats, depending on your specific needs. RollCall has many clients and many thousands of students reliably using the RollCall system with MiFare Classic (1K) RFID cards to register on and off their buses.

Guaranteed Compatibility

Our system is guaranteed to work with Mifare Classic cards and standard NFC tokens or tags. These cards follow a specific architecture that allows access to the UID in sector 0 using a default key ("FFFFFFFFFFFF"). This setup ensures straightforward and consistent access to the unique identifier without additional configuration, making Mifare Classic cards a reliable choice for our system.

Reading the UID

The UID, a non-programmable identifier unique to each card, is stored in sector 0 of the Mifare Classic card. This UID is immutable and provides a dependable means of identifying individual cards. The RollCall system reads this UID using the default key, ensuring compatibility without requiring custom key configurations.

UID Conversion to Different Formats

When reading the UID, our system can convert it into one of four standard formats, to match or differentiate it from your other systems and depending on the format of any data pushed via the card update API. These formats include:

• Hexadecimal: The UID’s native format, often represented in hexadecimal.
• Reverse Hexadecimal: The hexadecimal format with the byte order reversed.
• Decimal: Converted from hexadecimal to provide a numeric UID for display and logging.
• Reverse Decimal: The decimal format with the byte order reversed.

RollCall System Format Settings

If you are using a Mifare Classic card, it is essential that the card code stored in the RollCall system corresponds to the UID read with the default key and is converted into one of the accepted four formats (Hexadecimal, Reverse Hexadecimal, Decimal, or Reverse Decimal).

The default format expected by the RollCall system is Decimal. However, our support team can change this to any of the other three formats as required. 

Please note, the system does not support multiple read formats. You must select one format for all student codes for consistent processing. 

Using a Different Scan Media Type

If you choose to use a scan media type other than Mifare Classic or RollCall supplied NFC tags, please contact the RollCall support team via email to [email protected] for assistance. 

While the system is only guaranteed to be compatible with Mifare Classic cards and standard NFC tags, our support team can guide you through how the system might work with other card types. We have clients successfully using MiFare DesFire and other lesser known brand RFID cards with our assistance. 

ALL scan media types other than RollCall supplied NFC tags and MiFare Classic (1K) RFID cards should be tested with the RollCall device by the client before launch on your buses. We cannot guarantee that other scan media will work with the RollCall device.

Important Considerations

• Compatibility with Other Card Types: While our system supports Mifare Classic cards and RollCall supplied NFC tags, we can't guarantee compatibility with other scan media, due to differences in data structure and security protocols.
• Security: Mifare Classic cards may be seen as less secure than DESFire or other high-security options, as the default key for sector 0 is widely known. However, use of the RollCall system is fully supervised (by the driver) reducing the need for the level of security that may be required of other unsupervised system or location access. It is also possible to dual purpose cards by securing one of the other available sectors on the MiFare classic card to be read by other systems at your school.

Contact Us
For further assistance or questions on compatible RFID cards or NFC tags, or if you’re considering using a different card type, please contact the RollCall support team via email to [email protected] or phone on 1300 821 116.