April 2015 – SpringCard TechZone

C:\springcard>scpcsc_feed SpringCard -- scpcsc_feed ------------------------- Read/write data in the non-volatile memory of a SpringCard PC/SC Reader Build : Apr 15 2015 Copyright (c) 2010-2013 Pro Active SAS, France Go to www.springcard.com for information and updates. Connected through PC/SC. Connected, device : SpringCard Prox'N'Roll HSP 2.00 [1] Firmware features : 0073232F Usage: scpcsc_feed -d dump configuration registers scpcsc_feed -r XX show value of register XX scpcsc_feed -s XX=YYYY... write register XX with value YYYY... scpcsc_feed -e erase all configuration registers scpcsc_feed -sf FILE write register(s) from config FILE scpcsc_feed -t XX=YYYY... set temporarily register XX with value YYYY... scpcsc_feed -tf FILE set temporarily register(s) from config FILE C:\springcard>

Technical articles, Windows

New firmware for all SpringCard PC/SC couplers based on the H663 core

by johann.d 14/04/2015

SpringCard has just released a new firmware version, tagged 2.00, for its H663 core.

The H663 core is a versatile contactless+contact module, which supports virtually all proximity/RFID HF chip cards (ISO 14443 & ISO 15693 standards, including Mifare, Calypso, etc), NFC-enabled mobile phones or other objects (ISO 18092, peer-to-peer in initiator mode, passive communication scheme), and could also accept up to 5 contact smartcards (ISO 7816, one ID-1 card and up to 4 SIM/SAM ID-000 cards).

SpringCard H663 is the foundation of the largest family of RFID/NFC USB PC/SC readers on the market:

The H663S and H663A "bare" modules (designed respectively for either a Symetrical - balanced or an Asymetrical - unbalanced antenna)
The H663-USB OEM PC/SC ready-to-use contactless coupler (H663 core + antenna)
The CrazyWriter HSP, a complete multi-slot contactless+5 contact PC/SC coupler made for OEMs
The TwistyWriter HSP, a contactless+ID-000 PC/SC coupler made for OEMs
The CSB HSP, a desktop PC/SC coupler featuring contactless, 1 smartcard slot and 3 ID-000 slots
The Prox'N'Roll HSP, a brand new version of SpringCard's best selling desktop contactless coupler.

This new firmware version provides only a few new features, but introduces a new software architecture based on FreeRTOS which dramatically increases the device's performance for a better transaction time - particulary when accessing numerous slots in the same transaction.

How to upgrade

To upgrade your H663-based product with this new version, please refer to our H663/H512 Firmware Upgrade Procedure.

The 2.00 firmware file is here: uc3b0256_rc663_h663_2-00.hex

(note for future readers: please always use the latest firmware version using this permanent link).

From 30/04/2015, all H663-based products will ship with this version (instead of earlier 1.81).

Some new feature

Adding the reader's serial number to the slot names under Windows

Starting with version 2.00, the H663 family is able to insert the reader's serial number in the name of the PC/SC readers as exposed by Windows' SCardListReaders API call. On machines with numerous readers attached, this makes it possible to know which physical reader is actually bound to a logical slot without querying the reader through a SCardControl call.

To enable this feature, download the latest version of MultifConf; create a new project for the H663-product you own (CrazyWriter HSP typically), and in this project scroll down to "Misc. tricks". Then find the "Insert the serial number in the name of the slots" entry and turn it ON. apply the configuration to the reader(s) (Project -> Write Configuration into Reader), restart the reader, and enjoy!

Definitioner

USB

Universal Serial Bus. A standard Input/Output bus that supports very high transmission rates. Up to 120 devices can be daisy-chained to a USB port.

SIM

Subscriber Identification Module. A smart card for mobile phone systems (GSM) holding the subscriber's ID number, security information and memory for a personal directory of numbers thus allowing him to call from any device.

SAM

Security Access Module. A dedicated microprocessor unit that conducts active authentication with a memory or microprocessor card. The SAM is often a smartcard in the ID-000 form factor.

PC/SC

The de-facto standard to interface Personal Computers with Smart Cards (and smartcard readers of course). SpringCard PC/SC Readers comply with this standard. This makes those products usable on most operating systems, using an high-level and standardized API.

Firmware

Low-level software that is similar to hardware features. This software operates by exchanging commands directly with an external device or with a specific software loaded in the product.

API

Application Programming Interface: A definition of calling conventions through which an application program accesses to other services such as the operating system, drivers, databases, or middleware layers.

Mifare

This trademark of NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors) is the generic brand name of their PICC products. Billions of Mifare Classic cards have been deployed since the 90's. This is a family of wired-logic PICCs were data storage is divided into sectors and protected by a proprietary1 stream cipher called CRYPTO1. Every sector is protected by 2 access keys called 'key A' and 'key B'. NXP also offers another family of wired-logic PICCs called Mifare UltraLight (adopted by NFC Forum as Type 2 NFC Tags). Mifare SmartMX (and former Pro/ProX) is a family of microprocessor-based PICCs that may run virtually any smartcard application, typically on top a JavaCard operating system. Mifare Desfire is a particular microprocessor-based PICC that runs a single general-purpose application.

ISO 18092

NFC Interface and Protocol-1 : This international standard defines a communication scheme (most of the time refered as “peer to peer mode”) where two peer “objects” are able to communicate together (and not only a PCD and a PICC). The underlying protocol is ISO 14443-A at 106 kbit/s and the Sony Felica protocol at 212 and 424 kbit/s.

ISO 15693

This international standard defines the VCD/VICC communication scheme. It is divided into 3 layers: 1. Defines the hardware characteristics of the VICC, 2. Defines the carrier frequency and the bit-level communication scheme, 3. Defines the frame-level communication scheme, the session opening sequence (anti-collision/inventory), and the command set of the VICC. All VICCs are memory chips. Their data storage area is divided into blocks. The size of the blocks and the number of them depend on the VICC. Note that ISO 18000-3 mode 1 is the same as ISO 15693

ISO 14443

This international standard defines the PCD/PICC communication scheme. It is divided into 4 layers: 1. Defines the hardware characteristics of the PICC, 2. Defines the carrier frequency and the bit-level communication scheme, 3. Defines the frame-level communication scheme and the session opening sequence (anti-collision), 4. Defines the transport-level communication scheme (sometimes called “T=CL”). The application-level is out of the scope of ISO 14443. Most microprocessor-based PICCs implement ISO 7816-4 on top of ISO 14443-4. A lot of wired logic PICCs (NXP Mifare family, ST MicroElectronics ST/SR families, to name a few) implements only a subset of ISO 14443, and have their own set of functions on top of either ISO 14443-2 or ISO 14443-3. Note that ISO 14443-2 and ISO 14443-3 are divided into 2 protocols called 'A' and 'B'. A PCD shall implement both, but the PICCs implement only one of them1. Four communication baudrates are possible: 106 kbit/s is mandatory, higher baudrates (212, 424 or 848 kbit/s) are optional.

ID-1 (ISO 7810)

This international standard defines the size of the smartcards. The 'credit card' format (86x54mm) is called ID-1. A smaller format has been introduced for SIM cards (used in mobile phone) or SAM (secure authentication module, used for payment or transport applications) and is called ID-000. Bigger formats are ID-2 for ID-cards and ID-3 for passports.

ID-000 (ISO 7810)

NFC

Near-field communication. A subset of RFID, where the operating distance is much shorter than the wavelength of the radio waves involved. This is the case for both ISO 14443 and ISO 15693: the carrier frequency is 13.56MHz, leading to a wavelength of 22m. The proximity and vicinity ranges are shorter than this wavelength.

RFID

Radio-frequency identification. This is the general name for any system using radio waves for M2M communication (machine to machine, in our case PCD/VCD to PICC/VICC).

coupler (Microprocessor-based card)

An ICC (or a PICC) whose chip is a small computer. This is the case of high-end cards used in payment, transport, eID/passports, access control... Key features are security, ability to store a large amount of data and to run an application inside the chip. Most of the time they implement the command set defined by ISO 7816-4.

reader (Microprocessor-based card)

coupler (CD)

Coupling device or coupler. A device able to communicate with an ICC. This is what everybody calls a smartcard reader. Technically speaking it could be seen as a gateway between the computer and the card.

reader (CD)

smartcard (ICC)

Integrated-circuit card. This is the standard name for a plastic card holding a silicon chip (an integrated circuit) compliant with the ISO 7816 standards. A common name is smartcard.

smartcards (ICC)

Integrated-circuit card. This is the standard name for a plastic card holding a silicon chip (an integrated circuit) compliant with the ISO 7816 standards. A common name is smartcard.

Archives April 2015

scpcsc_feed completes MultiConf

A few interesting commands

Read-back the current configuration

Restore the factory configuration (blank all registers)

Apply the configuration from a MultiConf project

New firmware for all SpringCard PC/SC couplers based on the H663 core

How to upgrade

Some new feature

Adding the reader's serial number to the slot names under Windows