Smart Card Drivers

Smart card support consists of the following resources, which aid you in creating applications for smart cards and drivers for smart card readers.

• The Smart Card Resource Manager, which contains APIs that enable developers to write software that uses smart cards.
  
• The Smart Card Driver Library, which contains APIs that support the creation of device drivers for smart card readers.
  
• A set of I/O control codes, which the Smart Card Resource Manager uses to interact with smart card device drivers. Smart card reader drivers should be opened only by the Smart Card Resource Manager.
  

Beginning with Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2, the operating system supplies a USB Chip/Smart Card Interface Devices (CCID)-compliant smart card reader driver. Use of the USB CCID smart card reader driver can reduce the cost of driver development, improve driver and system stability, reduce time to market, and lead to a simplified plug and play experience for customers who use devices that comply with revision 1.0 or later of the USB CCID Specification. For more information, see the topics in this section.