Peter Williams wrote:
GSC-IS is an architecture - for cardedge templates.
For the avoidance (hopefully) of doubt, my understanding of GSC-IS is that it set out to define a generic virtual card edge inboard of the real card edge, and then it proposes mechanisms for a layer (implemented inside the host) to adapt to various real (physical) card edges. The adapter layer can use 'card capabilities' information taken from the card.
International work is now taking forward the GSC-IS concept, plus material from other sources (with Scott Guthery as a major contributor), in order to define a new ISO standard for interoperability of microprocessor smart cards. This work is currently in the hands of ISO/IEC JTC1 SC17 WG4 Task Force 9, aiming to provide drafts for the main WG4 group to consider as the starting point for ISO/IEC 24727. The recent working draft material includes a specific method for starting the card and obtaining material about its card edge spec detail - this method takes ISO/IEC 7816 and defines a small subset of the possibilities in order to allow the terminal (host) to quickly start up and characterise any compliant card.
In the typical configuration of PC with microprocessor-controlled card reader, none of these methods define either the card reader driver layer in the PC or the card reader itself, but for the startup phase of the card they do aim to closely define the PC software's internal interface to the card reder driver and the card reader interface to the card. That startup discipline is something that we have long needed in order to have interoperability across multiple card types.
(If Scott reads this, perhaps he can add something - or indeed correct if I have got it wrong.)
Peter T
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