Year: 2022

How to configure a Puck as a reader to read a SpringPass virtual card using keyboard emulation?

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SpringCard Puck family products can be used to read contactless passes carried by NFC smartphones. In the SmartReader operating mode, the reader is standalone to run and the computer receives RFID/NFC pass data as if someone would type it on the keyboard.

SpringPass by SpringCard is a service for generating NFC passes in order to dematerialize contactless cards or RFID badges by virtualizing them on mobile phones (smartphones). On Apple iOS (iPhone) architectures, the system is based on Apple VAS technology. On Android architectures, the system is based on Google Smart Tap technology.

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How to read RFID/NFC passes with SpringCard PC/SC couplers

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SpringCard contactless PC/SC couplers (NFC/RFID HF) can be used to read contactless passes carried by NFC smartphones.

In particular, the Prox’N’Roll HSP PC/SC and the PUCK configured as PC/SC have been certified :

  • by Apple for reading NFC passes stored in the Apple Wallet application (“Apple VAS” protocol, formerly branded as “PassKit”),
  • by Google for reading NFC passes stored in the Google Pay application (“Google VAS” protocol, still branded as “Smart Tap” or now “Google Wallet”).

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Using SpringCard PC/SC Couplers with a Raspberry Pi 4

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SpringCard PC/SC Couplers like the H663 family (CrazyWriter HSP, Prox’N’Roll HSP, TwistyWriter HSP…) and the new SpringCore family (PUCK…) are well supported by Linux systems thanks the open-source PCSC-Lite stack and its CCID driver. All these devices are easy to operate on early Raspberry Pi with little to no specificities.

This has changed on Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspian Bullseye and their new power-saving policy: by default, the system now shuts down any USB device that appears as being “unused” — which is namely the case of any PC/SC Coupler until a card is inserted or presented ;-).

For correct operations of any SpringCard PC/SC Coupler with a Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspian Bullseye, the integrator must therefore disable the USB power control, and this article explains how to do so. It may also be useful to anyone trying to troubleshoot disconnection issues affecting any PC/SC device when used together with an embedded Linux system where USB power saving is enabled by default.

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