From: Peter Tomlinson (pwtiosis.co.uk)
Date: Sun Apr 10 2005 - 06:06:34 CDT

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Peter Williams wrote:

> GSC-IS is an architecture - for cardedge templates.

For the avoidance (hopefully) of doubt, my understanding of GSC-IS is
that it set out to define a generic virtual card edge inboard of the
real card edge, and then it proposes mechanisms for a layer (implemented
inside the host) to adapt to various real (physical) card edges. The
adapter layer can use 'card capabilities' information taken from the card.

International work is now taking forward the GSC-IS concept, plus
material from other sources (with Scott Guthery as a major contributor),
in order to define a new ISO standard for interoperability of
microprocessor smart cards. This work is currently in the hands of
ISO/IEC JTC1 SC17 WG4 Task Force 9, aiming to provide drafts for the
main WG4 group to consider as the starting point for ISO/IEC 24727. The
recent working draft material includes a specific method for starting
the card and obtaining material about its card edge spec detail - this
method takes ISO/IEC 7816 and defines a small subset of the
possibilities in order to allow the terminal (host) to quickly start up
and characterise any compliant card.

In the typical configuration of PC with microprocessor-controlled card
reader, none of these methods define either the card reader driver layer
in the PC or the card reader itself, but for the startup phase of the
card they do aim to closely define the PC software's internal interface
to the card reder driver and the card reader interface to the card. That
startup discipline is something that we have long needed in order to
have interoperability across multiple card types.

(If Scott reads this, perhaps he can add something - or indeed correct
if I have got it wrong.)

Peter T

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