(Excel) 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.

Download Excel Class Modules Chilkat Excel Class Modules

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

Dim scard As Chilkat.SCard
Set scard = Chilkat.NewSCard

' First establish a context to the PC/SC Resource Manager

success = scard.EstablishContext("user")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.Print scard.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

' Get JSON containing information about the smartcards currently inserted into readers.
' This also includes information about USB security tokens.
Dim json As Chilkat.JsonObject
Set json = Chilkat.NewJsonObject
success = scard.FindSmartcards(json)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.Print scard.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

json.EmitCompact = False
Debug.Print 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


i = 0

count_i = json.SizeOfArray("reader")
Do 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
Loop

' Applications should always release the context when finished.
success = scard.ReleaseContext()
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.Print scard.LastErrorText
End If