On Fri, 9 Jan 2004, Krister Walfridsson wrote: > On Fri, 9 Jan 2004, Jesse I Pollard wrote: > > On Fri, 9 Jan 2004, Krister Walfridsson wrote: > > > Right, but communication with the card is done though a packet based > > > interface. I would guess that the USB readers using the the USB-Serial > > > converter are the first generation USB readers, that was made by > > > just repackaging the existing serial readers, and let the vendors use > > > their existing PC/SC drivers for Windows. Most new USB readers should > > > use the CCID. > > > > That is true. This applies to the current round of cards which are ALL > > serial. (backward compatability will be a real booger of a job to do). > > Counting pads, I don't think they are 8 bit parallel (though they might > > be - depends on how many grounds/power pads there are). > > My point is that the applications do not use a serial interface > to the cards -- all communication is (logically) done with APDU > "packets".
so? I know the card is a serial device. I don't think I've said anything else. The readers being serial terminal interface is no different than using a fibre interface... Unless the CARD has a fibre channel... The card itself cannot go quite as fast as a serial terminal interface... maybe half the speed (though it looks closer to 9600 baud then 19.2k, or 38.8k). The only justification for putting the card reader on the USB is because a number of systems are beginning to show up without serial terminal interfaces. > And you do not talk directly to the card's serial interface when using > serial readers either, since the timing to the card is too delicate > to be left to the computer. So the readers do a varying amount of > work themselves, and do often handle things like re-transmissions > and the procedural NULL byte. Of course not - I was talking about the CARD to READER. > So the reason smart card readers have been using the serial port is > because it has been the most convenient interface on the PC, and has > nothing to do with the smart cards being serial. > Sure thing, and it doesn't matter - especially since the CARD is serial, and slow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jesse I Pollard, II Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Any opinions expressed are solely my own. _______________________________________________ Muscle mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.musclecard.com/mailman/listinfo/muscle
