Start reading your own passes

If you navigate to the VTAP in the computer's file system, it will appear as an attached mass storage device and list the files contained, including the main config.txt file.

To read any mobile NFC pass, you will need to provide your pass reading parameters in the config.txt file. This means a collector ID or merchant ID and ECC keys. These allow you to read and decrypt pass data that is held by your users, on their smartphones. (ECC key pairs for VTAP readers explains more about ECC key pairs and how to generate your own keys.)

This first time, you will need to connect the VTAP reader to your PC, using a USB cable. (If needed, you can make changes remotely in future over a virtual COM port or serial port, see Transfer files in passive mode.)

Select a Step for more information:

  1. Ensure these are ECC private key(s), and each is stored in a file with the name private#.pem, following the .pem format, where # is replaced with a number from 1 to 6, matching the key slot you will save it in. (The demo passes are accessed using the key in KeySlot 6, so don't overwrite this one unless you are finished with demo passes.)

    Note: You cannot use more than 6 key files.

  2. Load your keys by copying these files onto your VTAP reader, which shows up in the file system of your PC as a mass storage device.

    Copy the key file on to the VTAP100

    3. Note: When you reboot the VTAP reader your key will have been stored in hardware, and will no longer be listed as a file on the device. You can confirm key file(s) have been loaded when you Check status in Boot.txt. If the key file does not disappear and there is an error in Boot.txt, check your .pem file as it is likely it did not adhere to the standard - perhaps it was not an ECC key?

  1. Open the file config.txt in a text editor (such as Windows Notepad). It already contains parameters for accessing the demo passes, prefixed VAS1 and ST1, both relying on KeySlot 6. You can overwrite these, or keep them in addition to your own pass reading parameters.

  2. Add your pass reading parameters in the config.txt file to access up to 6 Apple VAS and up to 6 Google Smart Tap IDs, and identify the keys to be used in each case.

    Note: Although the VTAP reader supports multiple IDs, Apple expect most users will only use one. Multiple collector IDs are not supported by Android, which means you cannot request more than one Collector ID from Google. Only one should be live at any one time. Multiple IDs is an advanced feature that should be used with care. The VAS# and ST# numbers define the order in which IDs will be requested from Apple or Android phones respectively. The lowest numbered ID will be requested first, then continuing in ascending numeric order. (One VTAP reading multiple passes explains more.)

    Put each parameter on a new line. Order of parameters does not matter to the VTAP reader, but could help other people who need to edit the file. Start any comment lines in the config.txt file, that the VTAP reader should ignore, with a semicolon. Each parameter should only appear once - if it accidentally appears more than once then only the last instance will take effect.

    Example: Settings in config.txt to interact with both Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap mobile passes

    Copy 
    !VTAPconfig

    VAS1MerchantID=<your merchant ID>
    VAS1KeySlot=1
    ; This says use the key added as file 'private1.pem' to read and
    ; decrypt any pass connected to your merchant ID on an Apple iPhone

    ST1CollectorID=<your collector ID>
    ST1KeySlot=2
    ST1KeyVersion=1
    ; This says use the key added as file 'private2.pem' at key version 1
    ; to read and decrypt any pass connected to your collector ID
    ; on an Android phone

  3. Save the amended config.txt file and these changes will take effect immediately. (A small number of changes to the config.txt file require a reboot to take effect, for instance to the status of the virtual COM port, but these are highlighted in later sections).

Note: If a VAS#KeySlot parameter is omitted, or set to 0, then all available keys will be automatically tried to choose the right key. If the data received by the VTAP reader cannot be decrypted, the Apple iphone will register a pass read, but the data will not be output.

Note: If an ST#KeySlot parameter is omitted, or set to 0, then authentication will be omitted and decryption will not be performed. In this case, Google Smart Tap data will be received and sent on by the VTAP reader, only if the pass does not require authentication by the terminal.

 

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