Part of the Electronics glossary:
An iButton is a microchip similar to those used in a smart card but housed in a round stainless steel button of 17.35mm x 3.1mm - 5.89mm in size (depending on the function). The iButton was invented and is still manufactured exclusively by Dallas Semiconductor mainly for applications in harsh and demanding environments.
Like a smart card, an iButton does not have an internal power source. It requires connection to a reader (known as a Blue Dot Receptor) in order to be supplied with power and to receive input and send output. Unlike some smart cards, there are currently no contactless iButtons: they require physical contact with a reader to function.
There are iButtons that measure temperature (for food storage and transport), have an electronic ID (for physical access to buildings), and store e-cash (for purchases both in stores and via the web). For e-commerce applications, the iButton can support JavaCard 2.0/OpenCard standards in addition to proprietary software.
iButtons have an advantage over conventional smart cards in term of durability and longevity. The stainless steel casing gives iButton a far greater ability to survive in a range of temperatures -- all versions are functional from -40 C to +70 C -- and in a much harsher range of environments (such as exposure to salt water and long term exposure to physical impacts) than the plastic smart card. For e-commerce and personal ID usage, iButtons can be mounted on a range of personal accessories: watch, ring, key chain, or dog tag.
Among the major successes for the iButton have been its use in Turkey as an e-purse for the mass transit system, in Argentina and Brazil for parking meters, and in the United States as Blue Mailbox attachments that improve postal efficiency.
This was last updated in September 2005
Contributor(s): and assistance was provided by Borys Pawliw
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