How a VTAP reader works

Simply tap your smartphone against the VTAP reader. Your mobile NFC pass will be read and data sent to the connected PC. VTAP50 and VTAP100 are certified by both Apple and Google to work with their respective Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap protocols. Since the VTAP reader includes automatic pass selection, you do not need to open your phone and select the pass.

When a VTAP reader is connected to a computer it appears as a generic mass storage device (like a memory stick). It can be set to send keyboard inputs to the PC, or behave as a virtual serial COM port device. In the case of a VTAP PRO reader it could send that data to a cloud platform.

In order to configure your VTAP reader, you simply edit or create text files. These will be automatically read and control the operation of the VTAP reader. This approach allows you to easily specify pass reading parameters and define the format to send data (per interface). You can optionally define LED or buzzer actions required when a pass is detected.

By default the VTAP reader is fully upgradable in the field, using a file-based method for distributing firmware updates in a secure manner. However, the VTAP reader hardware can be optionally locked, before deploying the unit, so that operation is no longer easily changed.

Other files are generated automatically by the VTAP reader, to provide you with status information. This data can be read as and when needed, from an attached PC, either in text files or over a serial connection.

(The Wiegand model, VTAP100-PAC-W, is also configured over USB from a PC. After configuration it is connected to an access controller, and will send pass data over the Wiegand interface to the controller, like any other reader.)