Smart card readers (Linux and Mac OS X)
Table of Contents
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 vendors usually provide for 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
Most 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
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 PINpad readers.