Smart card readers (Linux and Mac OS X)
OpenSC targets smart cards, not smart card readers. So to use your smart card, you need a working smart card reader first.
OpenSC is supposed to work with any supported smart card (see SupportedHardware for a list) if you have a driver for your card reader or USB token. If you're unsure, you need a PC/SC driver, which 99.9% of vendors provide for at least Windows platform. CT-API drivers are also supported (only if required and a driver is available from reader vendor, CT-API is a deprecated interface) and OpenCT (on Linux/BSD, if the reader or token does not work with pcsc-lite).
USB
Most common connector type for smart card readers is USB.
CCID
Almost all recent USB smart card readers follow the CCID specification. But not all. For USB dongles, a driver is *needed* for the USB connection if the token uses a proprietary protocol. For a list of CCID smart card readers supported by the http://pcsclite.alioth.debian.org/section.html. If you are planning to buy a smart card reader, be sure to check for CCID compliance (and extended APDU support if you want to be somewhat future-proof)
Some readers claim "CCID compatible" in marketing material but are not compliant (don't work with operating system provided CCID drivers) in real life. Readers known to do this are:
- ACS ACR83
- ACS APG8201
USB tokens (PC/SC)
- Schlumberger/Axalto e-gate pcsc-lite driver: see e-gate
USB tokens (OpenCT)
- FIXME List of tokens supported by OpenCT
PIN pad readers
- Notes about CT-API and PinpadReaders
Bluetooth readers
If someone has experience with any of these, please comment.
- http://www.apriva.com/products/iss/authentication/reader (SDK available under NDA/license, including for Android)
- http://www.blackberry.com/solutions/pdfs/SmartCardReaderBrochure.pdf
- http://www.biometricassociates.com/products-baimobile/bluetooth-smart-card-reader.html ?
- http://www.hidglobal.com/prod_detail.php?prod_id=369 (Windows-only PC/SC driver, proprietary/NDA low level protocol)
- http://images.telos.com/files/external/BT200_Slick.pdf (not reachable)
Information on using existing PC/SC reader over bluetooth on Android: http://code.google.com/p/seek-for-android/wiki/BTPCSC
