USB (UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS)
FULL SIZE SWIPE READER
TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL
Manual Part Number 99875204 Rev 4
JUNE 2003
REGISTERED TO ISO 9001:2000
1710 Apollo Court
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: (562) 546-6400
FAX: (562) 546-6301
Technical Support: (651) 415-6800
www.magtek.com
Copyright© 2001-2005
MagTek®, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose,
without the express written permission of MagTek, Inc.
MagTek is a registered trademark of MagTek, Inc.
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Specification is Copyright
©
1998 by Compaq Computer Corporation, Intel
Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation.
REVISIONS
Rev Number Date Notes
1 28 Aug 01 Initial Release
2 12 Dec 02 Section 4, Command Number: Corrected
GET and SET PROPERTY descriptions
3 28 Jan 03 Changed copyright symbol so pdf copies
would print on all printers
4 03 Jun 03 Front Matter: added ISO line to logo,
changed Tech Support phone number,
added new warranty statement.
ii
LIMITED WARRANTY
MagTek warrants that the products sold to Reseller pursuant to this Agreement will perform in accordance with
MagTek’s published specifications. This warranty shall be provided only for a period of one year from the date
of the shipment of the product from MagTek (the “Warranty Period”). This warranty shall apply only to the
original purchaser unless the buyer is authorized by MagTek to resell the products, in which event, this warranty
shall apply only to the first repurchase.
During the Warranty Period, should this product fail to conform to MagTek’s specifications, MagTek will, at its
option, repair or replace this product at no additional charge except as set forth below. Repair parts and
replacement products will be furnished on an exchange basis and will be either reconditioned or new. All replaced
parts and products become the property of MagTek. This limited warranty does not include service to repair
damage to the product resulting from accident, disaster, unreasonable use, misuse, abuse, customer’s negligence,
Reseller’s negligence, or non-MagTek modification of the product. MagTek reserves the right to examine the
alleged defective goods to determine whether the warranty is applicable.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, MagTek specifically disclaims any liability or warranty for
goods resold in other than MagTek’s original packages, and for goods modified, altered, or treated by customers.
Service may be obtained by delivering the product during the warranty period to MagTek (1710 Apollo Court,
Seal Beach, CA 90740). If this product is delivered by mail or by an equivalent shipping carrier, the customer
agrees to insure the product or assume the risk of loss or damage in transit, to prepay shipping charges to the
warranty service location and to use the original shipping container or equivalent. MagTek will return the product,
prepaid, via a three (3) day shipping service. A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must accompany
all returns.
MAGTEK MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND MAGTEK DISCLAIMS ANY
WARRANTY OF ANY OTHER KIND, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
EACH PURCHASER UNDERSTANDS THAT THE MAGTEK PRODUCT IS OFFERED AS IS. IF THIS
PRODUCT DOES NOT CONFORM TO MAGTEK’S SPECIFICATIONS, THE SOLE REMEDY SHALL BE
REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED ABOVE. MAGTEK’S LIABILITY, IF ANY, TO RESELLER
OR TO RESELLER’S CUSTOMERS, SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID TO
MAGTEK BY RESELLER UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. IN NO EVENT WILL MAGTEK BE LIABLE TO
THE RESELLER OR THE RESELLER’S CUSTOMER FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST
PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT
OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRODUCT, EVEN IF MAGTEK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY.
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THE SECTIONS RELATING TO MAGTEK’S LIMITED WARRANTY,
MAGTEK’S LIABILITY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIMITED TO THE CONTRACT PRICE OF THE
PRODUCTS.
MAGTEK MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCTS, EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED, EXCEPT AS MAY BE STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT, AND MAGTEK DISCLAIMS ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
MAGTEK SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR CONTINGENT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY. MAGTEK FURTHER LIMITS ITS LIABILITY OF ANY KIND
WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING ANY NEGLIGENCE ON ITS PART, TO THE
CONTRACT PRICE FOR THE GOODS.
MAGTEK’S SOLE LIABILITY AND BUYER’S EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES ARE STATED IN THIS SECTION
AND IN THE SECTION RELATING TO MAGTEK’S LIMITED WARRANTY.
iii
FCC WARNING STATEMENT
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15
of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a residential environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation.
FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation of this device is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference; and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
CANADIAN DOC STATEMENT
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise for digital apparatus set out in the Radio
Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux
appareils numériques de las classe B prescrites dans le Réglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les
ministère des Communications du Canada.
CE STANDARDS
Testing for compliance to CE requirements was performed by an independent laboratory. The unit under test was
found compliant to Class B.
UL/CSA
This product is recognized per Underwriter Laboratories and Canadian Underwriter Laboratories 1950.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1. FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS.....................................................................................1
FEATURES...............................................................................................................................................1
CONFIGURATIONS .................................................................................................................................2
ACCESSORIES........................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS....................................................................................................................2
SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................................................................................2
SECTION 2. INSTALLATION......................................................................................................................5
USB CONNECTION .................................................................................................................................5
WINDOWS PLUG AND PLAY SETUP.....................................................................................................6
MOUNTING...............................................................................................................................................6
SECTION 3. OPERATION...........................................................................................................................7
LED INDICATOR......................................................................................................................................7
CARD READ.............................................................................................................................................7
SECTION 4. USB COMMUNICATIONS.......................................................................................................9
HID USAGES............................................................................................................................................9
REPORT DESCRIPTOR ........................................................................................................................10
CARD DATA ...........................................................................................................................................11
TRACK 1 DECODE STATUS.................................................................................................................12
TRACK 2 DECODE STATUS.................................................................................................................12
TRACK 3 DECODE STATUS.................................................................................................................12
TRACK 1 DATA LENGTH.......................................................................................................................12
TRACK 2 DATA LENGTH.......................................................................................................................12
TRACK 3 DATA LENGTH.......................................................................................................................12
CARD ENCODE TYPE...........................................................................................................................13
TRACK DATA .........................................................................................................................................13
TRACK 1 DATA ......................................................................................................................................13
TRACK 2 DATA ......................................................................................................................................13
TRACK 3 DATA ......................................................................................................................................13
COMMANDS...........................................................................................................................................14
COMMAND NUMBER ............................................................................................................................14
DATA LENGTH.......................................................................................................................................14
DATA.......................................................................................................................................................14
RESULT CODE.......................................................................................................................................15
GET AND SET PROPERTY COMMANDS.............................................................................................15
SOFTWARE_ID PROPERTY.................................................................................................................16
SERIAL_NUM PROPERTY....................................................................................................................17
POLLING_INTERVAL PROPERTY........................................................................................................17
SECTION 5. DEMO PROGRAM.................................................................................................................19
INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................................................19
OPERATION...........................................................................................................................................19
SOURCE CODE .....................................................................................................................................20
FIGURES
Figure 1-1. USB Swipe Reader-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------vi
Figure 1-2. Dimensions-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -4
Figure 2-1. Reader Cable and Connector---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
TABLES
Table 1-2. Specifications------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
Table 2-1. 4-Pin Connector---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
v
Figure 1-1. USB Full Size Swipe Reader
vi
SECTION 1. FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS
The USB (Universal Serial Bus), Full Size, Swipe Reader is a compact magnetic stripe card
reader which conforms to ISO standards. The Reader is compatible with the PC series of
personal computers or any device with a USB interface. A card is read by sliding it, stripe down
and facing the LED side, through the slot either forward or backward.
A LED (Light Emitting Diode) indicator on the Reader panel provides the operator with
continuous status of the Reader operations.
The reader conforms to the USB Human Interface Device (HID) Class specification Version 1.1.
This allows host applications designed for the latest versions of Windows 98, Me, 2000 to easily
communicate to the device using standard Windows API calls that communicate to the device
through the HID driver that comes with Windows.
Unlike HID keyboard emulation readers, this device does not use keyboard emulation. It
behaves like a vendor defined HID device so that a direct communication path can be established
between the Host application and the device without interference such as keystrokes from other
HID devices.
A demo program with its source code is available, written in Visual Basic, that exercises the
device using the standard Windows API.
FEATURES
Major features of the Swipe Reader are as follows:
• Powered through the USB – no external power supply required
• Hardware Compatible with PC or any computer or terminal with a USB interface
• Bi-directional card reading
• Reads encoded data that meets ANSI/ISO/CDL/AAMVA standards and others such as ISO
track 1 format on track 2 or 3.
• Reads up to three tracks of card data
• LED for status
• Compatible with USB specification Revision 1.1
• Compatible with HID specification Version 1.1
• Can use standard Windows HID driver for communications. No third part device driver is
required.
• Programmable USB serial number descriptor
• Programmable USB Interrupt In Endpoint polling interval
• Non-volatile flash EEPROM memory for property storage
• Built-in 6 foot USB cable
1
USB Swipe Reader
CONFIGURATIONS
The Configurations are as follows:
Part Number Tracks Color
21088065 TK 1,2,3 Pearl White
ACCESSORIES
The accessories are as follows:
Part Number Description
21042806 USB MSR Demo Program with Source Code (Diskette)
99510026 USB MSR Demo Program with Source Code (WEB)
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Axelson, Jan. USB Complete, Everything You Need to Develop Custom USB Peripherals, 1999.
Lakeview Research, 2209 Winnebago St., Madison WI 53704, 396pp., http://www.lvr.com.
USB Human Interface Device (HID) Class Specification Version 1.1.
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Specification, Version 1.1, Copyright© 1998 by Compaq Computer
Corporation, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation.
USB Implementers Forum, Inc., www.usb.org.
SPECIFICATIONS
Table 1-2 lists the specifications for the Port Powered Swipe Reader. Figure 1-2 shows the
dimensions for the standard product. Other sizes are available by special order.
2
Section 1. Features and Specifications
Table 1-2. Specifications
Reference Standards ISO 7810 and ISO 7811/CDL/ AAMVA*
Power Input 5V From USB port
Recording Method Two-frequency coherent phase (F2F)
Message Format ASCII
Card Speed 3 to 50 IPS
MTBF Electronics: 125,000 hours. Head: 1,000,000 passes
ELECTRICAL
Current
Normal Mode
Suspend Mode
Dimensions Length: 6.5” (165.1 mm),
Weight 6.60 oz. (187.6 gr.) Cable length 6ft. Connector USB Type A plug
Temperature
Operating 32oF to 131oF (0oC to 55oC)
Storage -22oF to 158oF (-30oC to 70oC)
Humidity
Operating 10% to 90% noncondensing
Storage Up to 100% noncondensing
Altitude
Operating 0-10,000 ft. (0-3048 m.)
Storage 0-50,000 ft. (0-15240 m.)
* ISO (International Standards Organization), CDL (California Drivers License), and AAMVA (American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators).
30mA
300uA
MECHANICAL (STANDARD PRODUCT)
Width: 1.75” (44.45 mm)
Height: 1.625” (41.28 mm)
ENVIRONMENTAL
3
USB Swipe Reader
6.5"
(165.1 mm)
1.625"
(41.28 mm)
1.75"
(44.45 mm)
6.5"
(165.1 mm)
Figure 1-2. Dimensions
4
SECTION 2. INSTALLATION
This section describes the cable connection, the Windows Plug and Play Setup, and the physical
mounting of the unit.
USB CONNECTION
Connect the USB cable to a USB port on the host. The Reader, LED Indicator, and pin numbers
for the 4-pin connector are shown in Figure 2-1.
LED Indicator
14
Figure 2-1. Reader Cable and Connector
Pin numbers and signal descriptions for the cable shown in the illustration are listed in
Table 1-1.
Table 2-1. 4-Pin Connector
Pin Number Signal Cable Color
1 VCC Red
2 - Data White
3 +Data Green
4 Ground Black
5
USB Swipe Reader
WINDOWS PLUG AND PLAY SETUP
On hosts with the Windows operating system, the first time the device is plugged into a specific
USB port, Windows will pop up a dialog box, which will guide you through the process of
installing a device driver for the device. After this process is completed once, Windows will no
longer request this process as long as the device is plugged into the same USB port. The device
driver that Windows will install for this device is the driver used for HID devices and it is part of
the Windows operating system. When the dialog box pops up, follow the instructions given to
you in the dialog box. Sometimes Windows will find all the files it needs on its own without
giving you any prompts. Other times Windows will need to know the location of the files it
needs. If Windows prompts you for the file locations, insert the CD that was used to install
Windows on your PC and point Windows to the root directory of the CD. Windows should find
all the files it needs there.
MOUNTING
1. Ensure the Reader is positioned on a flat, accessible surface with at least 4 inches
clearance on either end for room to swipe a card. Orient the Reader so the side with the
LED is facing the direction of intended use.
If fastening tape is to be used, clean the area that the Reader will be mounted on with
isopropyl alcohol. Remove the adhesive protective cover on the fastening tape, and
position the Reader and push down firmly.
2. Mount the Reader.
6
SECTION 3. OPERATION
This section describes the LED Indicator and Card Read.
LED INDICATOR
The LED indicator will be either off, red, or green. When the device is not powered, the LED
will be off. When the device is first plugged in, the LED will be red. As soon as the device is
plugged in, the host will try to enumerate the device. Once the device is enumerated the LED
will turn green indicating that the device is ready for use. When a card is being swiped, the LED
will turn off temporarily until the swipe is completed. If there are no errors decoding the card
data then the LED will turn green. If there are any errors decoding the card data, the LED will
turn red for approximately two seconds to indicate that an error occurred and then turn green.
Anytime the host puts the device into suspend mode, the LED will turn off. Once the host takes
the device out of suspend mode, the LED will return to the state it was in prior to entering
suspend mode.
CARD READ
A card may be swiped through the Reader slot when the LED is green. The magnetic stripe must
face toward the front (the side with the LED) and may be swiped in either direction. If there is
data encoded on the card, the device will attempt to decode the data and then send the results to
the host via a USB HID input report. After the results are sent to the host, the device will be
ready to read the next card.
7
USB Swipe Reader
8
SECTION 4. USB COMMUNICATIONS
This device conforms to the USB specification revision 1.1. This device also conforms with the
Human Interface Device (HID) class specification version 1.1. The device communicates to the
host as a vendor defined HID device. The details about how the card data and commands are
structured into HID reports follow later in this section. The latest versions of the Windows
operating systems, Windows 98, Me, and 2000, all come with a standard Windows USB HID
driver. Windows applications that communicate to this device can be easily developed. These
applications can communicate to the device using standard windows API calls that communicate
to the device using the standard Windows USB HID driver. These applications can be easily
developed using compilers such as Microsoft’s Visual Basic or Visual C++. A demonstration
program and its source code, written in Visual Basic, that communicates with this device is
available. This demo program can be used to test the device and it can be used as a guide for
developing other applications. More details about the demo program follow later in this
document.
It is strongly recommended that application software developers become familiar with the HID
specification the USB specification before attempting to communicate with this device. This
document assumes that the reader is familiar with these specifications. These specifications can
be downloaded free from www.usb.org.
This is a full speed USB device. This device has a number of programmable configuration
properties. These properties are stored in non-volatile EEPROM memory. These properties can
be configured at the factory or by the end user. The device has an adjustable endpoint descriptor
polling interval value that can be set to any value in the range of 1ms to 255ms. This property
can be used to speed up or slow down the card data transfer rate. The device also has an
adjustable serial number descriptor. More details about these properties can be found later in this
document in the command section.
The device will go into suspend mode when directed to do so by the host. The device will
wakeup from suspend mode when directed to do so by the host. The device does not support
remote wakeup.
This device is powered from the USB bus. Its vendor ID is 0x0801 and its product ID is 0x0002.
HID USAGES
HID devices send data in reports. Elements of data in a report are identified by unique identifiers
called usages. The structure of the device’s reports and the device’s capabilities are reported to
the host in a report descriptor. The host usually gets the report descriptor only once, right after
the device is plugged in. The report descriptor usages identify the devices capabilities and report
structures. For example, a device could be identified as a keyboard by analyzing the device’s
report descriptor. Usages are four byte integers. The most significant two bytes are called the
usage page and the least significant two bytes are called usage IDs. Usages that are related can
share a common usage page. Usages can be standardized or they can be vendor defined.
Standardized usages such as usages for mice and keyboards can be found in the HID Usage
Tables document and can be downloaded free at www.usb.org. Vendor defined usages must
have a usage page in the range 0xff00 – 0xffff. All usages for this device use vendor defined
magnetic stripe reader usage page 0xff00. The usage IDs for this device are defined in the
9
USB Swipe Reader
following table. The usage types are also listed. These usage types are defined in the HID
Usage Tables document.
Magnetic Stripe Reader usage page 0xff00:
Usage ID
(Hex)
1 Decoding reader device Collection None
20 Track 1 decode status Data Input
21 Track 2 decode status Data Input
22 Track 3 decode status Data Input
28 Track 1 data length Data Input
29 Track 2 data length Data Input
2A Track 3 data length Data Input
30 Track 1 data Data Input
31 Track 2 data Data Input
32 Track 3 data Data Input
38 Card encode type Data Input
20 Command message Data Feature
Usage Name Usage
Type
Report
Type
REPORT DESCRIPTOR
The HID report descriptor is structured as follows:
Item Value(Hex)
Usage Page (Magnetic Stripe
Reader)
Usage (Decoding reader device) 09 01
Collection (Application) A1 01
Logical Minimum (0) 15 00
Logical Maximum (255) 26 ff 00
Report Size (8) 75 08
Usage (Track 1 decode status) 09 20
Usage (Track 2 decode status) 09 21
Usage (Track 3 decode status) 09 22
Usage (Track 1 data length) 09 28
Usage (Track 2 data length) 09 29
Usage (Track 3 data length) 09 2A
06 00 FF
(Continued)
10
Section 4. USB Communications
Item Value(Hex)
Usage (Card encode type) 09 38
Report Count (7) 95 07
Input (Data, Variable, Absolute, Bit
Field)
Usage (Track 1 data) 09 30
Report Count (110) 95 6E
Input (Data, Variable, Absolute,
Buffered Bytes)
Usage (Track 2 data) 09 31
Report Count (110) 95 6E
Input (Data, Variable, Absolute,
Buffered Bytes)
Usage (Track 3 data) 09 32
Report Count (110) 95 6E
Input (Data, Variable, Absolute,
Buffered Bytes)
Usage (Command message) 09 20
Report Count (24) 95 18
Feature (Data, Variable, Absolute,
Buffered Bytes)
End Collection C0
81 02
82 02 01
82 02 01
82 02 01
B2 02 01
CARD DATA
Card data is only sent to the host on the Interrupt In pipe using an Input Report. The device will
send only one Input Report per card swipe. If the host requests data from the device when no
data is available, the device will send a Nak to the host to indicate that it has nothing to send.
When a card is swiped, the Input Report will be sent even if the data is not decodable. The
following table shows how the input report is structured.
Offset Usage Name
0 Track 1 decode status
1 Track 2 decode status
2 Track 3 decode status
3 Track 1 data length
4 Track 2 data length
5 Track 3 data length
6 Card encode type
7 – 116 Track 1 data
117 – 226 Track 2 data
227 - 336 Track 3 data
11
USB Swipe Reader
TRACK 1 DECODE STATUS
Bits 7-1 0
Value Reserved Error
This is a one-byte value, which indicates the status of decoding track 1. Bit position zero
indicates there was an error decoding track 1 if the bit is set to 1. If it is zero, then no error
occurred. If a track has data on it that is not noise, and it is not decodable, then a decode error is
indicated. If a decode error is indicated, the corresponding track data length value for the track
that has the error will be set to zero and no valid track data will be supplied.
TRACK 2 DECODE STATUS
Bits 7-1 0
Value Reserved Error
This is a one-byte value, which indicates the status of decoding track 2. Bit position zero
indicates if there was an error decoding track 2 if this bit is set to one. If it is zero, then no error
occurred. If a track has data on it that is not noise, and it is not decodable, then a decode error is
indicated. If a decode error is indicated, the corresponding track data length value for the track
that has the error will be set to zero and no valid track data will be supplied.
TRACK 3 DECODE STATUS
Bits 7-1 0
Value Reserved Error
This is a one-byte value, which indicates the status of decoding track 3. Bit position zero
indicates there was an error decoding track 3 if this bit is set to one. If it is zero, then no error
occurred. If a track has data on it that is not noise, and it is not decodable, then a decode error is
indicated. If a decode error is indicated, the corresponding track data length value for the track
that has the error will be set to zero and no valid track data will be supplied.
TRACK 1 DATA LENGTH
This one byte value indicates how many bytes of decoded card data are in the track 1 data field.
This value will be zero if there was no data on the track or if there was an error decoding the
track.
TRACK 2 DATA LENGTH
This one byte value indicates how many bytes of decoded card data are in the track 2 data field.
This value will be zero if there was no data on the track or if there was an error decoding the
track.
TRACK 3 DATA LENGTH
This one byte value indicates how many bytes of decoded card data are in the track 3 data field.
This value will be zero if there was no data on the track or if there was an error decoding the
track.
12
Section 4. USB Communications
CARD ENCODE TYPE
This one byte value indicates the type of encoding that was found on the card. The following
table defines the possible values.
Value Encode Type Description
0 ISO/ABA ISO/ABA encode format
1 AAMVA AAMVA encode format
2 CADL CADL encode format
3 Blank The card is blank.
4 Other The card has a non-standard encode format. For example,
ISO/ABA track 1 format on track 2.
5 Undetermined The card encode type could not be determined because no
tracks could be decoded.
6 None No decode has occurred. This type occurs if no magnetic stripe
data has been acquired since the data has been cleared or
since the device was powered on. This device only sends an
Input report when a card has been swiped so this value will
never occur.
TRACK DATA
If decodable track data exits for a given track, it is located in the track data field that corresponds
to the track number. The length of each track data field is fixed at 110 bytes, but the length of
valid data in each field is determined by the track data length field that corresponds to the track
number. Track data located in positions greater that the track data length field indicates are
undefined and should be ignored. The HID specification requires that reports be fixed in size,
but the number of bytes encoded on a card may vary. Therefore, the Input Report always
contains the maximum amount of bytes that can be encoded on the card and the number of valid
bytes in each track is indicated by the track data length field. The track data is decoded and
converted to ASCII. The track data includes all data starting with the start sentinel and ending
with the end sentinel.
TRACK 1 DATA
This field contains the decoded track data for track 1.
TRACK 2 DATA
This field contains the decoded track data for track 2.
TRACK 3 DATA
This field contains the decoded track data for track 3.
13
USB Swipe Reader
COMMANDS
Most host applications do not need to send commands to the device. Most host applications
only need to obtain card data from the device as described previously in this section. This
section of the manual can be ignored by anyone who does not need to send commands to the
device.
Command requests and responses are sent to and received from the device using feature reports.
Command requests are sent to the device using the HID class specific request Set_Report. The
response to a command is retrieved from the device using the HID class specific request
Get_Report. These requests are sent over the default control pipe. When a command request is
sent, the device will Nak the Status stage of the Set_Report request until the command is
completed. This insures that as soon as the Set_Report request is completed, the Get_Report
request can be sent to get the command response. The usage ID for the command message was
shown previously in the Usage Table.
The following table shows how the feature report is structured for command requests:
Offset Field Name
0 Command Number
1 Data Length
2 – 23 Data
The following table shows how the feature report is structured for command responses.
Offset Field Name
0 Result Code
1 Data Length
2 – 23 Data
COMMAND NUMBER
This one byte field contains the value of the requested command number. The following table
lists all the existing commands.
Value Command Number Description
0 GET_PROPERTY Gets a property from the device
1 SET_PROPERTY Sets a property in the device
DATA LENGTH
This one byte field contains the length of the valid data contained in the Data field.
DATA
This multi-byte field contains command data if any. Note that the length of this field is fixed at
22 bytes. Valid data should be placed in the field starting at offset 2. Any remaining data after
the valid data should be set to zero. This entire field must always be set even if there is no valid
data. The HID specification requires that Reports be fixed in length. Command data may vary
in length. Therefore, the Report should be filled with zeros after the valid data.
14
Section 4. USB Communications
RESULT CODE
This one byte field contains the value of the result code. There are two types of result codes:
generic result codes and command specific result codes. Generic result codes always have the
most significant bit set to zero. Generic result codes have the same meaning for all commands
and can be used by any command. Command specific result codes always have the most
significant bit set to one. Command specific result codes are defined by the command that uses
them. The same code can have different meanings for different commands. Command specific
result codes are defined in the documentation for the command that uses them. Generic result
codes are defined in the following table.
Value Result Code Description
0 SUCCESS The command completed successfully.
1 FAILURE The command failed.
2 BAD_PARAMETER The command failed due to a bad
parameter or command syntax error.
GET AND SET PROPERTY COMMANDS
The Get Property command gets a property from the device. The Get Property command
number is 0.
The Set Property command sets a property in the device. The Set Property command number
is 1.
The Get and Set Property command data fields for the requests and responses are structured as
follows:
Get Property Request Data:
Data Offset Value
0 Property ID
Get Property Response Data:
Data Offset Value
0 – n Property Value
Set Property Request Data:
Data Offset Value
0 Property ID
1 – n Property Value
Set Property Response Data:
None
The result codes for the Get and Set Property commands can be any of the codes list in the
generic result code table.
15
USB Swipe Reader
Property ID is a one byte field that contains a value that identifies the property. The following
table lists all the current property ID values:
Value Property ID Description
0 SOFTWARE_ID The device’s software identifier
1 SERIAL_NUM The device’s serial number
2 POLLING_INTERVAL The interrupt pipe’s polling interval
The Property Value is a multiple byte field that contains the value of the property. The number
of bytes in this field depends on the type of property and the length of the property. The
following table lists all of the property types and describes them.
Property Type Description
Byte This is a one byte value. The valid values depend on the property.
String This is a multiple byte ASCII string. Its length can be zero to a
maximum length that depends on the property. The value and
length of the string does not include a terminating NUL character.
SOFTWARE_ID PROPERTY
Property ID: 0
Property Type: String
Length: Fixed at 11 bytes
Get Property: Yes
Set Property: No
Description: This is an 11 byte read only property that identifies the software part
number and version for the device. The first 8 bytes represent the part number and the last 3
bytes represent the version. For example this string might be “21042804A02”. Examples
follow:
Example Get SOFTWARE_ID property Request (Hex):
Cmd Num Data Len Prp ID
00 01 00
Example Get SOFTWARE_ID property Response (Hex):
Result Code Data Len Prp Value
00 01 32 31 30 34 32 38 30 34 41 30 32
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Section 4. USB Communications
SERIAL_NUM PROPERTY
Property ID: 1
Property Type: String
Length: 0 – 15 bytes
Get Property: Yes
Set Property: Yes
Default Value: The default value is no string with a length of zero.
Description: The value is an ASCII string that represents the device’s serial number.
This string can be 0 – 15 bytes long. This property is stored in non-volatile EEPROM memory
so it will not change when the unit is power cycled. The value of this property, if any, will be
sent to the host when the host requests the USB string descriptor. When this property is
changed, the unit must be power cycled to have these changes take effect for the USB descriptor.
If a value other than the default value is desired, it can be set by the factory upon request.
Examples follow.
Example Set SERIAL_NUM property Request (Hex):
Cmd Num Data Len Prp ID Prp Value
01 04 01 31 32 33
Example Set SERIAL_NUM property Response (Hex):
Result Code Data Len Data
00 00
Example Get SERIAL_NUM property Request (Hex):
Cmd Num Data Len Prp ID
00 01 01
Example Get SERIAL_NUM property Response (Hex):
Result Code Data Len Prp Value
00 03 31 32 33
POLLING_INTERVAL PROPERTY
Property ID: 2
Property Type: Byte
Length: 1 byte
Get Property: Yes
Set Property: Yes
Default Value: 10
Description: The value is a byte that represents the devices polling interval for the
Interrupt In Endpoint. The value can be set in the range of 1 – 255 and has units of milliseconds.
The polling interval tells the host how often to poll the device for card data packets. For
example, if the polling interval is set to 10, the host will poll the device for card data packets
every 10ms. This property can be used to speed up or slow down the time it takes to send card
data to the host. The trade-off is that speeding up the card data transfer rate increases the USB
bus bandwidth used by the device, and slowing down the card data transfer rate decreases the
USB bus bandwidth used by the device. This property is stored in non-volatile EEPROM
memory so it will not change when the unit is power cycled. The value of this property, if any,
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USB Swipe Reader
will be sent to the host when the host requests the device’s USB endpoint descriptor. When this
property is changed, the unit must be power cycled to have these changes take effect for the USB
descriptor. If a value other than the default value is desired, it can be set by the factory upon
request. Examples follow:
Example Set POLLING_INTERVAL property Request (Hex):
Cmd Num Data Len Prp ID Prp Value
01 02 02 0A
Example Set POLLING_INTERVAL property Response (Hex):
Result Code Data Len Data
00 00
Example Get POLLING_INTERVAL property Request (Hex):
Cmd Num Data Len Prp ID
00 01 02
Example Get POLLING_INTERVAL property Response (Hex):
Result Code Data Len Prp Value
00 01 0A
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SECTION 5. DEMO PROGRAM
The demo program, which is written in Visual Basic, can be used to do the following:
• Read cards from the device and view the card data
• Send command requests to the device and view the command responses
• Guide application developers in their application development by providing examples, in
source code, of how to properly communicate with the device using the standard Windows
APIs
The part numbers for the demo program can be found in this document in Section 1 under
Accessories.
INSTALLATION
To install the demo program, run the setup.exe file and follow the instructions given on the
screen.
OPERATION
To operate the demo program perform the following steps:
• Plug the device into a USB port on the host
• If this is the first time the device has been plugged into the host, then follow the instructions
on the screen for installing the Windows HID device driver. This is explained in more detail
in the installation section of this document.
• Run the demo program.
• To read cards and view the card data, click on the Read Cards button and swipe a card when
prompted to do so.
• When finished reading cards, close the dialog box.
• To send commands to the device, click on the send commands button.
• Enter a command in the Message edit box. All data entered should be in hexadecimal bytes
with a space between each byte. Enter the command number followed by the command data
if there is any. The application will automatically calculate and send the command data
length for you. For example, to send the GET_PROPERTY command for property
SOFTWARE_ID enter 00 00.
• Press Enter or click on Send message to send th e command and receive the result.
• The command request and the command result will be displayed in the Communications
Dialog edit box.
• The Clear Dialog button clears the Communication Dialog edit box.
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USB Swipe Reader
SOURCE CODE
Source code is included with the demo program. It can be used as a guide for application
development. It is described in detail, with comments, to assist developers. The book USB
Complete by Jan Axelson is also a good guide for application developers, especially the chapter
on Human Interface Device Host Applications (see “Reference Documents” in Section 1).
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