ID-engine SD vs. ID-engine Z
Our latest product generation ID-engine Z comes with a number of improvements compared to its predecessor ID-engine SD – be it with regard to security, easier host interface implementation, or out-of-the-box behavior. During development of these features, backward compatibility with the predecessor ID-engine SD could be maintained in many cases, but certain incompatibilities were inevitable.
To help you transition smoothly to the new generation and introduce you to the new features, here's an overview of all differences, concerning both hardware and software.
Mechanical
Dimensions
ID-engine Z is more compact:
| Dimension | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|---|
| Module height | 17 mm | 9 mm |
| Mounting plate/antenna board thickness | 1.5 mm | 1mm |
| Monting stripes width (each side) | 5 mm | 4.5 mm |
| Assembly drillings (footprint/position/dimension) | no difference |
Antennas
| ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|
| ANT1F ANT2 ANT3 |
ANT1 |
Different connectors and cables
ID-engine Z uses partly different interface connectors:
| Connector | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|---|
| USB | AMP Micro-MaTch (4-pin) | Molex PicoBlade (4-pin) |
| RS-232 | Molex PicoBlade (5-pin) AMP Micro-MaTch (6-pin) |
Molex PicoBlade (5-pin) |
Slightly modified cable routing may be necessary due to the different connector positions and reduced module hight.
For USB, we offer off-the-shelf cables with the new connector with the following lengths:
- 0.5 m
- 0.9 m
- 1.8 m
Custom cables are available on request.
Feedback to card holder
| Feature | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|---|
| LED | No | Yes |
| Beeper | No | Yes |
Factory device settings
At startup, a standard ID-engine Z without custom configuration behaves differently:
| ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|
| No factory device settings | Comes with factory device settings |
| RFID field is off | RFID field is on |
| Reader waits for host commands | Reader scans for and reads cards autonomously |
| Reader does not accept ConfigCards | Reader accepts ConfigCards |
| Power consumption during startup potentially higher than for ID-engine SD |
Configurations
Existing
ID-engine Z is backward-compatible with configurations created for ID-engine SD, so you can use them on ID-engine Z without restrictions.
New
When you create a new configuration that contains project settings, please note the following differences in behavior.
This applies to configurations created with ConfigEditor v4.15.00 (released 11 September 2018) or above.
| Functionality | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|---|
| Rollback to a previous version of the same configuration | Possible | Not possible You can only deploy newer versions of the same configuration |
| Deploy a different configuration (with a different Config Security Code) | Possible | Not possible Do a factory reset first |
For more details, please see our security concept for ID-engine Z.
Host interfaces
USB
| Characteristic | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB | Product ID | 0x9999 | 0xF001...0xFFFF Value depends on the activated USB protocols |
Only relevant for applications that scan the device ID, which contains the USB product ID. |
| Protocol options | Virtual COM port (default) PC/SC |
HID (default) Virtual COM port Keyboard emulationPC/SC |
||
| Virtual COM port | Implementation | Proprietary | Based on standardized CDC profile | |
| Driver | Driver package needed for all Win versions | No driver needed for Win 10 For older Win versions, download the CDC driver. |
||
| Reader configuration | Not needed | Via device settings. Default protocol is USB HID |
||
| Firmware update protocol | Non-BRP based | BRP-based | BALTECH Uploader handles this difference automatically. | |
| PC/SC | Driver | Driver package needed for all Win versions | No driver needed for Win 10 For older Win versions, download the CDC driver. |
|
| Reader configuration | Not needed | Via device settings. Default protocol is USB HID |
RS-232
| Characteristic | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of serial interfaces | 2 | 1 The service interface is now USB HID. |
In general, RS-232 support is optional for ID-engine Z. |
| Number of serial protocols that can be run simultaneously | 2 | 1 | Please keep this in mind when using legacy configurations from ID-engine SD. |
| Firmware update protocol | Non-BRP based | BRP-based | BALTECH tools handle this difference automatically. |
| UART data format | 6, 7, or 8-bit 1 or 2 stop bitsselectable parity (odd/even) |
7N2, 7O1, 7E1, 8N1, 8O1, 8E1 |
LEGIC
ID-engine Z readers with LEGIC functionality are based on a different LEGIC reader chip. This also affects the availability of BRP command sets:
| Characteristic | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reader chip | SM05 | 4000 series | |
| Supported cards | LEGIC prime; custom versions with LEGIC advant support |
Both LEGIC prime and advant by default | |
| Commands | Lg command set Lga transparent command |
Lga transparent command for legacy projects only Legic transparent command for new applications |
|
| Memory segmentation | Not supported by standard version | Supported by standard version with part number 10117-9xx-xx | Use the Legic transparent command |
ISO 15693
| Characteristic | ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|---|
| Commands | ISO15693 legacy command set | ISO15 command set |
Multi frequency
ID-engine Z is available in a multi-frequency version:
| ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z |
|---|---|
| 13.56 MHz | 13.56 MHz 125 kHzBluetooth Low Energy |
SAM slot
| ID-engine SD | ID-engine Z | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Not available | Preinstalled SAM slot for NXP MIFARE SAM AV2 or HID iClass SE Processor (support of iClass and SEOS cards). | Custom SAM support on request. |