#SpringCore RDR MK1 Protocol

SpringCore devices configured for Smart Reader operation support using the SpringCard ‘MK1’ legacy protocol to communicate over serial channels.

Warning: only a partial implementation of the ‘MK1’ protocol is available in the SpringCore devices. Pay attention to all the specificities exposed in the following sections.

#Channels supporting the MK1 protocol

• Serial
• USB, Virtual Comm Port

MK1 protocol has to be enabled by setting appropriate value to 03 in register 02A0

#MK1 Messages, device to host

#Startup Message

When configured to use the MK1 serial protocol, upon startup, the reader sends its name prefixed by # and followed by /RDR, for instance

# M519/RDR

This let the host know that the reader is ready, or has rebooted for any reason.

Warning: upon startup, earlier IWM2 devices send the manufacturer name and their version (e.g. SpringCard K663/RDR 1.21); SpringCore don’t send their manufacturer name nor their version, and a # sign is added as prefix.

#Card Event Message

Everytime the Smart Reader reads a tag (contactless card, NFC tag or RFID label, data coming from a BLE token…), it sends to the listening host(s) an MK1 Card Event Message, formatted as follow:

<BEGIN MARKER><PREFIX><CARD IDENTIFIER><SUFFIX><END MARKER>

Where

• The PREFIX and the SUFFIX fields comes from the Template
• BEGIN MARKER is the plus sign (+)
• END MARKER is <CR><LF>

Warning: unlike earlier IWM2 devices, BEGIN MARKER and END MARKER are constants of the SpringCore devices and can’t be changed by configuration.

#MK1 Messages, host to device

Warning: unlike earlier IWM2 devices, SpringCore devices don’t accept any MK1 message in the host to device direction.