A Q-
Chip MEMS magnetic device comprises a thin-film
electronic circuit for implantation in the Track-2 area of a magnetic stripe on the back of a
credit card. The Q-
Chip MEMS magnetic device periodically self-generates new sub-sets of magnetic data that are to be read in combination with other magnetic data that is permanently recorded in the surrounding surface of the magnetic stripe. A collocated battery and
microcontroller provide operating power and new data for magnetic bit updates. A
swipe sensor triggers such updates by sensing electrical contact with a legacy
card reader. Several thin-film coils of wire are wound end-to-end around a common, flat,
ferrous core. These are driven by the
microcontroller. In one instance, such core comprises “hard” magnetic material with a
coercivity of 200-300 Oersteds. Magnetic data written from the corresponding adjacent coils will persist for later readings by a legacy
card reader. In another instance, the core comprises “soft” magnetic material with a
coercivity of about one
Oersted. A media stripe of “hard” magnetic
film material overlays respective coils to receive magnetic data transfers. Magnetic data written from the corresponding adjacent coils will persist in the overlaying hard media for later readings by a legacy
card reader. In a
data input mode, the thin-film coils can be used as readers to provide updates and new
programming to the
microcontroller.