ACR122U vs ACR1552U — NFC Reader Comparison

The ACR122U and ACR1552U are both 13.56 MHz USB NFC readers from ACS that support ISO 14443 Type A/B, MIFARE and FeliCa cards over PC/SC. The main practical difference is standards coverage and performance: the ACR1552U additionally supports ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity cards and more card types (SRI/SRIX, CTS, Innovatron, Picopass, Topaz), reads at up to 848 kbps versus the ACR122U's 424 kbps, and has roughly 40% longer read range (up to 7 cm versus up to 50 mm). ACS has designated the ACR122U as end-of-life and it is no longer recommended for new deployments; the ACR1552U is its actively supported successor and the recommended choice for any new project. BSD Infotech keeps both readers in regular supply: the ACR122U for existing systems and software built around it, and the ACR1552U for new projects.

One practical note for buyers: because the ACR122U is end-of-life, unofficial and counterfeit units have appeared in the market under the ACR122U name. Counterfeit readers can be inconsistent in performance and compatibility, and carry no manufacturer warranty or support. Buy from BSD Infotech, which supplies genuine ACS readers.

The ACR122U is a PC-linked contactless smart card reader/writer built on 13.56 MHz RFID technology, compliant with ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC), PC/SC and CCID. It supports MIFARE, ISO 14443 A/B and FeliCa cards and is widely used for access control, e-payment and e-ticketing.

The ACR1552U is a newer USB NFC reader from ACS that extends the same core capability with ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity-card support, a longer read range, higher read/write speed, and three NFC operating modes.

• The ACR1552U supports ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity cards; the ACR122U does not.
• The ACR1552U reads/writes at up to 848 kbps versus the ACR122U's 424 kbps.
• The ACR1552U has a longer read range (up to 7 cm vs. up to 50 mm).
• The ACR1552U supports keyboard-emulation NFC mode in addition to reader/writer and card-emulation modes.
• Both use PC/SC and CT-API, but ship with separate, reader-specific SDKs.

The ACR122U is end of life at ACS, so it is not the first choice for a new design. It remains the practical choice when you are maintaining or extending an existing ACR122U deployment and need to match the hardware already in the field, or when your software is built specifically against the ACR122U and has not been tested on another reader. BSD Infotech keeps the ACR122U in regular supply for these cases.

Choose the ACR1552U for new deployments that need ISO 15693 vicinity-card support, a longer read range, higher throughput, or where you want the latest reader in the ACS lineup for a multi-year rollout.

Both readers support Windows, Linux, macOS/Mac and Android through PC/SC, so most PC/SC-based applications should work with either reader with minimal change. Card-type-specific logic (e.g., code that assumes only ISO 14443/MIFARE/FeliCa) will need updating to take advantage of the ACR1552U's added ISO 15693 support.

The ACR122U SDK ships with sample code in Java, Delphi, Visual Basic, Visual C++ and C#. The ACR1552U SDK from ACS has PC/SC sample code in Java, Visual Basic, C# and C++, card and reader tools, and test cards, for Windows 10 and 11. Contact BSD Infotech for ACR1552U SDK access and integration support, or see the smart card and NFC reader SDK guide.

For a brand-new rollout with no existing ACR122U installed base, the ACR1552U's broader standards support gives more headroom for future card types. For rollouts extending an existing ACR122U fleet, matching the existing reader keeps hardware and software consistent across sites.

For new deployments, standardise on the ACR1552U. For expansions of an existing ACR122U fleet, you can keep buying the ACR122U from BSD Infotech, or plan a move to the ACR1552U. If you're replacing ACR122U readers already in the field, verify that your existing application's card-handling logic and any ACR122U-specific utility calls are re-tested against the ACR1552U before a full swap, and stock a few units for parallel testing before a site-wide rollout. Contact BSD Infotech for a migration plan and genuine ACR1552U supply.

1. Install the ACS PC/SC driver for the ACR1552U (a different driver package from the ACR122U one).
2. Test standard PC/SC operations with your own cards: connect, read the UID, read and write data.
3. Check reader-specific commands (LED, buzzer, reader settings) against the ACR1552U Reference Manual; these differ between the readers.
4. Update any code that finds the reader by name.
5. Test every card type you use (MIFARE Classic, DESFire, NFC tags) before a site-wide rollout.

BSD Infotech can run these tests with your cards and software, and can update the application if changes are needed.

Moving software from the ACR122U to the ACR1552U, or to another reader, means checking the driver, SDK and reader-specific commands against your cards and application. Discuss the migration with BSD Infotech: reader SDK details are in the smart card and NFC reader SDK guide, and wider software work is covered under NFC and smart card application development.

Discuss ACR122U Replacement Request Migration / Integration Support

BSD Infotech keeps both the ACR122U and ACR1552U in regular supply across India, including bulk and dealer orders. Other NFC readers, such as the ACR1252U and ACR1255U-J1, are on the NFC and contactless readers page. Use the enquiry form below, or on either product page, and specify quantity and which reader you need.