(Excel) ScMinidriver - PIN Authentication for Smart Card or USB Token

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Demonstrates how to PIN authenticate with a connected smart card or USB token.

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

Note: The ScMinidriver functionality is for Windows-only because ScMinidriver DLLs only exist on Windows. In the next version, Chilkat will be releasing a Pkcs11 class to support Linux, MacOSX, and possibly other operating systems.

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

Dim scmd As Chilkat.ScMinidriver
Set scmd = Chilkat.NewScMinidriver

' Reader names (smart card readers or USB tokens) can be discovered
' via List Readers or Find Smart Cards

readerName = "Alcor Micro USB Smart Card Reader 0"

success = scmd.AcquireContext(readerName)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.Print scmd.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

' If we are successful, the name of the currently inserted smart card is available:

cardName = scmd.CardName
Debug.Print "Card name: "; cardName

' Perform regular PIN authentication with the smartcard.
' If authentication is successful, then the ScMinidriver session is authenticated and
' operations such as signing are permissible.

' The pin ID can be "user", "admin", or a number "3" through "7" (passed as a string).
' The possible pin ID's for a given smartcard are obtained via the GetCardProperties method.
' See Get Smart Card Properties for sample code.
' You should generally use the "user" pin ID.  You would only use the other pin ID's for very specific purposes.

pinId = "user"

' Change this to the PIN for your smart card.

pin = "0000"


retval = scmd.PinAuthenticate(pinId,pin)

' The return value is 0 for success.
' If the retval is greater than 0, it is the number of attempts remaining before the PIN is blocked.
' If the retval equals -1, then something else went wrong and you should consult the LastErrorText.
If (retval < 0) Then
    Debug.Print scmd.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

If (retval > 0) Then
    Debug.Print "PIN authentcation failed, "; retval; " attempts remaining before the PIN is blocked."
Else
    Debug.Print "PIN authentication successful. Your session is now authenticated and you may proceed with operations such as signing."
End If

' ...
' ...
' ...

' When finished with operations that required authentication, you may if you wish, deauthenticate the session.
success = scmd.PinDeauthenticate(pinId)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.Print scmd.LastErrorText
End If

' Delete the context when finished with the card.
success = scmd.DeleteContext()
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.Print scmd.LastErrorText
End If