{ "url": "https://proudtek.com/products/rfid-cards/em4100-rfid-card/", "sourceUrl": "https://proudtek.com/products/rfid-cards/em4100-rfid-card/", "title": "EM4100 Proximity Cards — 125 kHz Read-Only", "description": "The legacy 125 kHz LF proximity chip is the most widely deployed 125 kHz read-only RFID chip — a fixed-ID proximity card with no encryption, designed...", "kind": "product", "imageUrl": "https://proudtek.com/landing-images/em4100-rfid-card.jpg", "imageAlt": "EM4100 125 kHz proximity card for basic access control", "imageGallery": [ { "url": "https://proudtek.com/landing-images/em4100-rfid-card.jpg", "alt": "EM4100 125 kHz proximity card for basic access control" } ], "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://proudtek.com/" }, { "name": "Products", "url": "https://proudtek.com/products/all/" }, { "name": "EM4100 Proximity Cards — 125 kHz Read-Only", "url": "https://proudtek.com/products/rfid-cards/em4100-rfid-card/" } ], "summary": [], "faq": [ { "question": "Can EM4100 cards be cloned?", "answer": "Yes, trivially. EM Microelectronic EM4100 is a read-only chip with no encryption; the 40-bit ID is transmitted in the clear and can be captured by any 125 kHz reader and written to a rewritable T5577 chip in seconds with an inexpensive handheld duplicator. Use EM Microelectronic EM4100 only where the risk of cloning is acceptable — residential doors, parking, time-and-attendance, visitor badges. For anti-cloning, upgrade to NXP MIFARE DESFire EV3 (AES-128 mutual authentication) or MIFARE Plus SE." }, { "question": "Will EM4100 cards work with our HID proximity readers?", "answer": "Only if the reader is a multi-format reader that explicitly lists EM4100 or EM4102 on the datasheet. HID's own ProxPoint, ProxPro and R10/R40 readers use HID's proprietary 125 kHz format, which is not the same as EM4100. Many third-party 125 kHz readers do support both formats. Send us your reader model number and we will verify compatibility line by line." }, { "question": "Is EM4100 the same as EM4102?", "answer": "Functionally, yes. EM4100 and EM4102 share the same frame format and protocol at 125 kHz and are interoperable with the same readers. EM4102 is typically the variant sold today; 'EM4100' is used as a generic name for the family and is the search term buyers still use. Our standard EM4100 SKUs ship with EM4102 or EM4200 chips depending on availability and specified bit timing." }, { "question": "Should I still buy EM4100 cards in 2026, or go straight to 13.56 MHz?", "answer": "Buy EM4100 if your installed reader base is 125 kHz and you do not have a security or mobile-credential driver pushing migration. If you are specifying new readers today, go 13.56 MHz (MIFARE DESFire EV3 or NTAG424 DNA) so you get anti-cloning and a path to NFC phone credentials. The middle case — you are mid-migration — is what dual-frequency combo cards are for: one card body, both LF and HF chips, works on old and new readers during the transition." }, { "question": "Can EM4100 carry any data beyond the ID?", "answer": "No. EM4100 is strictly read-only and transmits only its pre-programmed 40-bit ID inside a fixed 64-bit frame. All access entitlements, expiry, floor permissions, photo lookups, shift records and so on have to live in the access control system's database, keyed by that ID. If you need on-card stored value, biometrics, logs or offline entitlements, you need a memory-carrying chip such as MIFARE Classic, DESFire or NTAG." }, { "question": "What is the MOQ and lead time for custom-printed EM4100 cards?", "answer": "Blank white EM4100 cards: MOQ 100, ships from stock in 1 to 3 business days. Clamshell thick cards: MOQ 100, from stock. Custom-printed and pre-encoded cards: MOQ 200, lead time 10 to 12 business days from artwork approval. Volume breaks are available at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000+ quantities; dual-frequency combo cards typically add 5 to 8 business days." }, { "question": "What read range should we expect in the field?", "answer": "Plan for 5 to 15 cm of reliable read distance on a standard reader, measured with the card perpendicular to the reader face. Real-world range depends heavily on the reader's antenna tuning, power and any nearby metal. Wall-mounted readers next to metal door frames typically land at the lower end of that range; open-desk turnstile readers sit near the top. For barrier-gate and windshield applications, use a long-range LF reader paired with a higher-gain card or tag." } ], "procurementFields": [ { "label": "Best fit", "value": "EM4100 Proximity Cards — 125 kHz Read-Only is suitable for RFID or NFC identification, access, and OEM customization projects." }, { "label": "Key options", "value": "Form Factor: Card format compatible with common access-control, ID, or NFC workflows." }, { "label": "Customization", "value": "Confirm artwork, encoding, material, chip, and finish requirements before quoting." }, { "label": "Quote checklist", "value": "Reference EM4100 Proximity Cards — 125 kHz Read-Only in your inquiry so the matching product page stays attached to the quote. Card format compatible with common access-control, ID, or NFC workflows. Share target chip or protocol,..." } ], "collectionGuidanceFields": [], "coreGuidanceFields": [], "articleGuidanceFields": [], "sourceLinks": [], "related": [], "productSpecs": [ { "name": "Form Factor", "value": "Card format compatible with common access-control, ID, or NFC workflows." } ], "machineJsonUrl": "https://proudtek.com/machine/products/rfid-cards/em4100-rfid-card.json", "machineTextUrl": "https://proudtek.com/machine/products/rfid-cards/em4100-rfid-card.txt", "author": { "name": "Proud Tek Co., Limited" }, "publisher": "Proud Tek Co., Limited", "credentials": [ "ISO 9001:2015", "ISO 14001:2015", "RoHS Compliant", "CE Marking", "REACH Compliant" ], "generatedAt": "2026-03-16T01:42:30.697Z" }