(VB.NET) 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.

Dim scard As New Chilkat.SCard

' First establish a context to the PC/SC Resource Manager
Dim success As Boolean = scard.EstablishContext("user")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(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 New Chilkat.JsonObject
success = scard.FindSmartcards(json)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(scard.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


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



Dim name As String
Dim state As String
Dim vendorName As String
Dim systemName As String
Dim cardAtr As String
Dim cardWindowsMiniDriver As String
Dim cardWindowsCryptoProvider As String
Dim cardWindowsKeyStorageProvider As String
Dim serialNumber As String

Dim i As Integer = 0
Dim count_i As Integer = 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
End While

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