(C#) PC/SC Find Inserted Smart Cards

See more SCard Examples

Get detailed information about each reader including whether or not a smart card is currently inserted in the reader. (Also includes USB tokens.)

Note: This functionality was introduced in Chilkat v9.5.0.87.

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// This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
// See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

Chilkat.SCard scard = new Chilkat.SCard();

// First establish a context to the PC/SC Resource Manager
bool success = scard.EstablishContext("user");
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(scard.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

// Get JSON containing information about the smartcards currently inserted into readers.
// This also includes information about USB security tokens.
Chilkat.JsonObject json = new Chilkat.JsonObject();
success = scard.FindSmartcards(json);
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(scard.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

json.EmitCompact = false;
Debug.WriteLine(json.Emit());

// Here is sample output:
// See below for sample code to parse the JSON.

// You can see which readers have a card inserted by the "state".
// If the state contains "present", then a card is inserted into the reader.
// (USB tokens will typically always have a state containing "present")
// Also, the ATR of the card inserted into the reader is indicated by "atr".

// {
//   "reader": [
//     {
//       "name": "Alcor Micro USB Smart Card Reader 0",
//       "state": "present,inuse",
//       "vendorName": "Alcor Micro",
//       "systemName": "Alcor Micro USB Smart Card Reader 0",
//       "card": {
//         "atr": "3B7F96000080318065B0855956FB120FFE829000",
//         "windows": {
//           "miniDriver": "AxaltoCM.dll",
//           "cryptoProvider": "Microsoft Base Smart Card Crypto Provider",
//           "keyStorageProvider": "Microsoft Smart Card Key Storage Provider"
//         }
//       }
//     },
//     {
//       "name": "FS USB Token 0",
//       "state": "present,inuse",
//       "vendorName": "FS",
//       "serialNumber": "3F",
//       "systemName": "FS USB Token 0",
//       "card": {
//         "atr": "3B9F958131FE9F006646530534002571DF000000000012",
//         "windows": {
//           "miniDriver": "eps2003csp11",
//           "cryptoProvider": "Microsoft Base Smart Card Crypto Provider",
//           "keyStorageProvider": "Microsoft Smart Card Key Storage Provider"
//         }
//       }
//     },
//     {
//       "name": "FT Java Token 0",
//       "state": "present",
//       "vendorName": "FT",
//       "serialNumber": "3F",
//       "systemName": "FT Java Token 0",
//       "card": {
//         "atr": "3BFC180000813180459067464A00642D70C172FEE0FE",
//         "windows": {
//           "miniDriver": "tagliov70px.dll",
//           "cryptoProvider": "Microsoft Base Smart Card Crypto Provider",
//           "keyStorageProvider": "Microsoft Smart Card Key Storage Provider"
//         }
//       }
//     },
//     {
//       "name": "SCM Microsystems Inc. SCR33x USB Smart Card Reader 0",
//       "state": "present",
//       "vendorName": "SCM Microsystems Inc.",
//       "serialNumber": "333130303330",
//       "systemName": "SCM Microsystems Inc. SCR33x USB Smart Card Reader 0",
//       "card": {
//         "atr": "3BFC180000813180459067464A00641606F2727E00E0",
//         "windows": {
//           "miniDriver": "tagliov70px.dll",
//           "cryptoProvider": "Microsoft Base Smart Card Crypto Provider",
//           "keyStorageProvider": "Microsoft Smart Card Key Storage Provider"
//         }
//       }
//     },
//     {
//       "name": "Yubico YubiKey OTP+FIDO+CCID 0",
//       "state": "present",
//       "vendorName": "Yubico",
//       "serialNumber": "3F",
//       "systemName": "Yubico YubiKey OTP+FIDO+CCID 0",
//       "card": {
//         "atr": "3BFD1300008131FE158073C021C057597562694B657940",
//         "windows": {
//           "miniDriver": "msclmd.dll",
//           "cryptoProvider": "Microsoft Base Smart Card Crypto Provider",
//           "keyStorageProvider": "Microsoft Smart Card Key Storage Provider"
//         }
//       }
//     }
//   ]
// }

// Use this online tool to generate parsing code from sample JSON: 
// Generate Parsing Code from JSON

string name;
string state;
string vendorName;
string systemName;
string cardAtr;
string cardWindowsMiniDriver;
string cardWindowsCryptoProvider;
string cardWindowsKeyStorageProvider;
string serialNumber;

int i = 0;
int count_i = json.SizeOfArray("reader");
while (i < count_i) {
    json.I = i;
    name = json.StringOf("reader[i].name");
    state = json.StringOf("reader[i].state");
    vendorName = json.StringOf("reader[i].vendorName");
    systemName = json.StringOf("reader[i].systemName");
    cardAtr = json.StringOf("reader[i].card.atr");
    cardWindowsMiniDriver = json.StringOf("reader[i].card.windows.miniDriver");
    cardWindowsCryptoProvider = json.StringOf("reader[i].card.windows.cryptoProvider");
    cardWindowsKeyStorageProvider = json.StringOf("reader[i].card.windows.keyStorageProvider");
    serialNumber = json.StringOf("reader[i].serialNumber");
    i = i + 1;
}

// Applications should always release the context when finished.
success = scard.ReleaseContext();
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(scard.LastErrorText);
}