(PowerShell) 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.

Chilkat .NET Downloads Chilkat .NET Assemblies

Add-Type -Path "C:\chilkat\ChilkatDotNet47-9.5.0-x64\ChilkatDotNet47.dll"

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

$scard = New-Object Chilkat.SCard

# First establish a context to the PC/SC Resource Manager
$success = $scard.EstablishContext("user")
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($scard.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

# Get JSON containing information about the smartcards currently inserted into readers.
# This also includes information about USB security tokens.
$json = New-Object Chilkat.JsonObject
$success = $scard.FindSmartcards($json)
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($scard.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

$json.EmitCompact = $false
$($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 = $json.SizeOfArray("reader")
while ($i -lt $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 -eq $false) {
    $($scard.LastErrorText)
}