Why is My Copied Magnetic Stripe Card Not Working?

[flush]

hi all

I am student in automated systems electromechanics and I am quite new to what I'm writing about.. but I figured out this is very interesting; magnetic stripe encoding

A friend of mine owns a plasma cutting metal shop and they recently installed magnetic stripe readers to enter the cutting shop and some other controlled areas of the company. He asked me if I could figure out to make a working copy of one of his magnetic cards.

He gave me one original card, I confirmed this card was working, and I brought it home.

I have make what i think to be an exact copy of his card, it has the very same flux reversals at the very same intervals, the very same track density and i see in the TickDuration graphic, which shows 1 and 0 streams, that both graphics (original and copy) are quite similar. The device I use is meant to copy any kind of magnetic stripe (this is why he asked me) but still it will not work in his reader.. says "reading error".

I have read that some magnetic stripe encoding security is enhanced by controlling the timing jitter. I am not sure about this and/or how to control this.. could it be possible? Also, is it possible that his reader is able to figure out that the magnetic stripe has been modified? (even though its an exact copy, written using raw data input/output). Also, if his cards were to be HiCo and i would make a copy on a LoCo stripe, would the reader notice this or would just go on as LoCo readers read HiCo and LoCo stripes the same way ?

I can give any more informations about the device and software I use, and I post screenshots of the graphics and data if you want.
If anyone could give me a clue about this, that would be much appreciated.


Thank you very much,

flush

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Did you try a google search first?
http://www.google.com/search?q=magn...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[quicknote]

Hello flush,

Magnetic stripe encoding is a method of storing data on a magnetic stripe, typically found on cards such as credit cards or access cards. It is a widely used technology for secure access and identification purposes.

In order to successfully copy a magnetic stripe, you would need to ensure that the copy is an exact replica of the original, including the timing of the flux reversals and track density. It is possible that the reader at your friend's shop is using a more secure form of encoding, such as controlling the timing jitter, which could explain why your copied card is not working.

It is also possible that the reader is able to detect modifications to the magnetic stripe, even if it is an exact copy. This is a common security feature to prevent unauthorized access.

Additionally, the type of magnetic stripe (HiCo or LoCo) can affect the compatibility with the reader. If your friend's cards are HiCo and you made a copy on a LoCo stripe, it is possible that the reader may not recognize it.

I would recommend consulting with a professional in magnetic stripe encoding, or contacting the manufacturer of the reader, for further assistance. They may be able to provide you with more information and guidance on how to successfully copy the card.

Best of luck in your endeavors!