Today we’re going to offer you an article that’s a little different from our usual fare, since it’s less about going into the details of how to implement a SpringCard product than about presenting a small piece of software that can help you discover the world of NFC and contactless smart cards.
It’s called NFC Tools, and has been developed by Wakdev.
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 :
5 years ago, SpringCard introduced SCardSniffer, a tool that spies the exchanges between Windows applications and the PC/SC subsystem. SCardSniffer works by introducing a hook over winscard.dll.
Although this method is still perfectly working in most cases, it comes with some technical complexity (1. the sniffer and the sniffed application must both run on the same subsystem, either Win32 or Win64, hence 2 versions of the sniffer and 2. the injection of the hook is likely to be disabled on security-enforced computers and 3. it may also triggers some antivirus/malware detection tools, which leads to an unnecessary stress).
SCardSniffer2 is a new tool that offers basically the same function, but with a much simpler architecture.
SCardSniffer2 installs a new virtual smart card reader and acts as a relay between this virtual reader and the real reader, where the real card is.
The application to be spied must be reconfigured to connect to the virtual reader (instead of the real reader); SCardSniffer2 is then able to record all the APDUs exhanged between the application and the card.
SpringCore is the umbrella name to the new generation of SpringCard devices (Puck, SpringPark, etc.) that share the same MCU platform and the same overall architecture.
To manage, configure and update these devices, SpringCard has developed SpringCard Companion, a complete and versatile hybrid solution that combines the ergonomics of a modern web application with the power of a gateway service running on Windows 10 (or later).
SpringCard Companion is the new all-in-one solution to manage, configure and update the latest generation of SpringCard “SpringCore” devices (Puck, SpringPark, etc). SpringCard Companion is an hybrid application that combines a clean, efficient and always up-to-date web front-end with a tiny local software, the Companion Service, that is the gateway between the cloud and the devices connected to your computer or local network.
As such, the Companion Service is also the base component to connect any application built for the web with the ‘physical world’ of PC/SC couplers and Smart Readers, using only simple WebSocket and REST API calls.
Before you start using SpringCard Companion Web application (available at companion.springcard.com) you should install the Companion Service on a Windows computer.
FUU “Firmware Upgrade Utility” is SpringCard’s all-in-one software to flash the firmware of most of the product families.
FUU could be use to flash the : H663, E663, S663 and K663 families.
First of all you’ll need to download the Firmware Upgrade Utility software : https://www.springcard.com/fr/download/find/file/su13168
Once it’s installed, launch it. You will see that window