biology

Openpass

Openpass is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Openpass rather than just read about it. In short: OpenPass is a method for data recording on RFID card in an integrated access control system, with proprietary software by different providers. OpenPass is released under the GPL license.

Key takeaways

Openpass belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Openpass to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Openpass from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

OpenPass is a method for data recording on RFID card in an integrated access control system, with proprietary software by different providers. OpenPass is released under the GPL license.

The OpenPass system The OpenPass system consist of:

contactless smartcard ISO 15693, without proprietary restrictions; ticket counters and gates compatible with the standard central server and open platform for data collection web service connection and data transmission real-time or [batch]. To allow the exchange of information between heterogeneous access control systems, OpenPass defines an interchange format through the use of metalanguage XML. Access credentials are stored on the smartcard and organized through the use of markers, represented in XML. The XML representations are made public by the server OpenPass. With a single RFID card, the user access to all sites in the system: each company is able to issue the ticket yourself and the card is recognized by every member of the system independently. The OpenPass standard defines a distributed network of data centers, that are web service connected with the server. The information collected by data centers regarding sales and passages to the gates and they are sent to the central server. The exchange format between server and collection centers is XML. The OpenPass server receives the data and stores them in a centralized SQL database, where each data item is related to a UID and any personal details of the customer.

Highlights of OpenPass The methodology OpenPass is characterized by:

data accessible and understandable by users; fast and "hands-free" passage to the gates; online recharge and presale pass; safety of access credentials are encrypted in emission; multifunctionality; management division of the profits from sales of tickets valid for multiple domains; possibility of batch operation of control system, in hostile contexts where the connection is not continuous; reducing the cost of cards and equipment since it is not bound to proprietary software.

OpenPass projects For now, OpenPass is applied to control systems access to the ski lifts, in Italy and France:

Italy: Skipass Lombardia Skipass Lombardia was the first example in Europe of open standard for integrated access control systems with heterogeneous and proprietary software. OpenPass has created an integrated system for all companies of skilifts in the Lombardy Region: 310 ski lifts, 46 companies in 30 ski areas.

France: Nordic Pass Rhône Alpes The Federation of Nordic skiing in the French region of Rhône-Alpes (FRAN) has promoted the Nordic Pass Rhône Alpes: a project of integrated access to 5000 km of ski runs in 83 stations of Nordic skiing, with OpenPass standard.

Italy: SkiArea VCO In the Alps of Piedmont, Neveazzurra ski resort has implemented SkiArea VCO: a project of integrated access to the stations of Neveazzurra resort: Alpe Devero, Antrona Cheggio, Ceppo Morelli, Domobianca (Domodossola), Druogno, Formazza, Macugnaga, Mottarone, Piana di Vigezio, Pian di Sole, San Domenico (Varzo).

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Openpass

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Openpass claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Openpass before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Openpass ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Openpass

In research: Openpass appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Openpass in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Openpass is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Radio-frequency identification, Software using the GNU General Public License, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Openpass outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Openpass in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Openpass means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Openpass out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Openpass in simple terms?

OpenPass is a method for data recording on RFID card in an integrated access control system, with proprietary software by different providers. OpenPass is released under the GPL license.

Why does Openpass matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Openpass?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Openpass.