IDTech Unimag Card Swiper on Android

Question

I've been working on Android (v2.3) for a couple of weeks now, and I've stumbled upon some problems with the Unimag Card Swiper from IDTECH.

The unit comes with a scarce documentation and the demo app from the SDK implements the firmware update and a few classes for dialogs and such which really offuscate how to achieve basic functionality (added to the few and not so good comments in the code).

I have implemented the interface in a basic activity and tried to detect when the unit is connected or disconnected but it seems the listener catches both events (connection/disconnection) as "disconnect", let alone trying to read a card.

Has anyone worked with this unit on Android and has some clear examples?

By the way, here is my class:

package com.card.swipe;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.InputStream;
import IDTech.MSR.uniMag.uniMagReader;
import IDTech.MSR.uniMag.uniMagReaderMsg;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class CardSwipeTestActivity extends Activity implements uniMagReaderMsg {

    private uniMagReader myUniMagReader = null;
    private TextView etCardData;
    private String _strMSRData = null;
    private byte[]_MSRData = null;
    private String _strStatus = null;
    private int _nGetChallengeResult = 0;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
//      InitializeUI();
        InitializeReader();  
        String strManufacture = myUniMagReader.getInfoManufacture();
        String strModel = myUniMagReader.getInfoModel();
        String strSDKVerInfo = myUniMagReader.getSDKVersionInfo();
        String strOSVerInfo = android.os.Build.VERSION.RELEASE;
        etCardData = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.text_view);
        etCardData.setText("Phone: "+strManufacture+"\n"+"Model: "+strModel+"\n"+"SDK Ver: "+strSDKVerInfo+"\nOS Version: "+strOSVerInfo);      
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPause() {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        if(myUniMagReader!=null)
        {
            //you should stop swipe card and unregister when the application go to background
            myUniMagReader.stopSwipeCard();         
//          myUniMagReader.unregisterListen();
//          myUniMagReader.release();
        }
        super.onPause();
    }
    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        // you should register to listen the headset event when the application resumed.
//      if(myUniMagReader!=null)
//      {
////            myUniMagReader.registerListen();
//          if(_bCheckedSaveLogItem==true)
//              myUniMagReader.setSaveLogEnable(true);
//          else
//              myUniMagReader.setSaveLogEnable(false);
//      }
//      if(itemStartSC!=null)
//          itemStartSC.setEnabled(true); 
//      waitingCommandResult=false;
        super.onResume();
    }
    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        myUniMagReader.release();
        super.onDestroy();      
        android.os.Process.killProcess(android.os.Process.myPid());
    }    

    //********************************************************************************//    

    @Override
    public boolean getUserGrant(int arg0, String arg1) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgAutoConfigProgress(int arg0) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgCardData(byte arg0, byte[] arg1) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        Log.d("SWIPE", "Card swiped!");
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Card swiped!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgCommandResult(int arg0, byte[] arg1) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgConnected() {
        Log.d("CONNECTION","Swiper Connected");
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Swiper Connected!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgDisconnected() {
        Log.d("CONNECTION","Swiper Disconnected");
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Swiper Disconnected!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgFailureInfo(int arg0, String arg1) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        Log.d("CONNECTION","Swiper Failure");
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgSDCardDFailed(String arg0) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgTimeout(String arg0) {
        Log.d("TIMEOUT","Timed out!");  
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Timed out!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();   
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgToConnect() {
        Log.d("CONNECTION","Swiper Powered Up");
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Swiper Powered Up", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgToSwipeCard() {
        Log.d("SWIPE","Ready to swipe!");
        Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Ready to swipe!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();      
    }

    //********************************************************************************//

    private void InitializeReader()
    {
        if(myUniMagReader==null)
            myUniMagReader =  new uniMagReader(this,this);

        myUniMagReader.setVerboseLoggingEnable(true);
        myUniMagReader.registerListen();
        //load the XML configuratin file
        String fileNameWithPath = getXMLFileFromRaw();
        if(!isFileExist(fileNameWithPath)) { fileNameWithPath = null; }        
        myUniMagReader.setXMLFileNameWithPath(fileNameWithPath);
        myUniMagReader.loadingConfigurationXMLFile(true);
        myUniMagReader.setTimeoutOfSwipeCard(5); 
    }

    private boolean isFileExist(String path) {
        if(path==null)
            return false;
        File file = new File(path);
        if (!file.exists()) {
          return false ;
        }
        return true;
    }   

    private String getXMLFileFromRaw( ){
        //the target filename in the application path
       String fileNameWithPath = null;
       fileNameWithPath = "idt_unimagcfg_default.xml";

       try{
           InputStream in = getResources().openRawResource(R.raw.idt_unimagcfg_default);
           int length = in.available();
           byte [] buffer = new byte[length];
           in.read(buffer);        
           in.close();

           deleteFile(fileNameWithPath);

           FileOutputStream fout = openFileOutput(fileNameWithPath, MODE_PRIVATE);
           fout.write(buffer);
           fout.close();

           // to refer to the application path
           File fileDir = this.getFilesDir();
           fileNameWithPath = fileDir.getParent() + java.io.File.separator + fileDir.getName();
           fileNameWithPath = fileNameWithPath+java.io.File.separator+"idt_unimagcfg_default.xml";

           }
           catch(Exception e){
           e.printStackTrace();
           fileNameWithPath = null;
           }

        return   fileNameWithPath;

        }   

    public void swipe(View v)
    {
        if(myUniMagReader!=null)
        {
            myUniMagReader.startSwipeCard();
        }
        if(myUniMagReader.isSwipeCardRunning()==true)
        {
            Log.d("SWIPE","Swipe Card Running!");
        }       
    }

    private String getHexStringFromBytes(byte []data)
    {
        if(data.length<=0) return null;
        StringBuffer hexString = new StringBuffer();
        String fix = null;
        for (int i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
            fix = Integer.toHexString(0xFF & data[i]);
            if(fix.length()==1)
                fix = "0"+fix;
            hexString.append(fix);
       }
       fix = null;
       fix = hexString.toString();
       return fix;
    }

    public byte[] getBytesFromHexString(String strHexData)
    {
        if (1==strHexData.length()%2) {
            return null;
        }
        byte[] bytes = new byte[strHexData.length()/2];
        for (int i=0;i<strHexData.length()/2;i++) {
            bytes[i] = (byte) Integer.parseInt(strHexData.substring(i*2, (i+1)*2) , 16);
        }
        return bytes;
    }
}

(There are some unimplemented methods there as well)

Answer 1

Here's what I used with the UniMag. Using a handler to output the swiped data, and a 'Swipe' button to start the swiping. To improve, one should wait until the card reader reports it is connected / ready to swipe, then enable the button, disable while waiting for swipe, and re-enable after receiving data.

import java.util.regex.Matcher;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

import IDTech.MSR.XMLManager.StructConfigParameters;
import IDTech.MSR.uniMag.uniMagReader;
import IDTech.MSR.uniMag.uniMagReaderMsg;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.Message;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class MainActivity extends Activity implements uniMagReaderMsg {

    private uniMagReader myUniMagReader = null;
    private Button btnSwipe;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        if(myUniMagReader == null) {
            myUniMagReader = new uniMagReader(this,this);
            myUniMagReader.setSaveLogEnable(false);
            myUniMagReader.setXMLFileNameWithPath(null);
            myUniMagReader.loadingConfigurationXMLFile(true);

            //myUniMagReader.setVerboseLoggingEnable(true);
            myUniMagReader.registerListen();
        }

        btnSwipe = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button1);
        btnSwipe.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                myUniMagReader.startSwipeCard();
            }
        });
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
    myUniMagReader.stopSwipeCard();
        myUniMagReader.unregisterListen();
        myUniMagReader.release();
        super.onDestroy();
    }

    @Override
    public boolean getUserGrant(int arg0, String arg1) {
        Log.d("UniMag", "getUserGrant -- " + arg1);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgAutoConfigProgress(int arg0) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgAutoConfigProgress");
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgCardData(byte arg0, byte[] arg1) {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgCardData");
        Log.d("UniMag", "Successful swipe!");

        String strData = new String(arg1);
        Log.d("UniMag", "SWIPE - " + strData);
        if(myUniMagReader.isSwipeCardRunning()) {
            myUniMagReader.stopSwipeCard();
        }

        // Match the data we want.
        String pattern = "%B(\\d+)\\^([^\\^]+)\\^(\\d{4})";
        Log.d("UniMag", pattern);
        Pattern r = Pattern.compile(pattern);
        Matcher m = r.matcher(strData);
        String card = "";
        String name = "";
        String exp = "";
        String data = "";
        if(m.find()) {
            for(int a = 0; a < m.groupCount(); ++a) {
                Log.d("UniMag", a + " - "+m.group(a));
            }
            card = m.group(1);
            name = m.group(2);
            exp = m.group(3);
            data = "Data: " + name + " -- " + card + " -- " + exp;
            Log.d("UniMag", data);

            Message msg = new Message();
            msg.obj = data;
            swipeHandler.sendMessage(msg);
        }

    }

    final Handler swipeHandler = new Handler() {
        @Override
        public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
            String text = (String)msg.obj;
            TextView dataView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.text_view);
            dataView.setText(text);
        }
    };

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgCommandResult(int arg0, byte[] arg1) {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgCommandResult");
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgConnected() {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgConnected");
        Log.d("UniMag", "Card reader is connected.");
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgDisconnected() {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgDisconnected");
        if(myUniMagReader.isSwipeCardRunning()) {
            myUniMagReader.stopSwipeCard();
        }
        myUniMagReader.release();

    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgFailureInfo(int arg0, String arg1) {
        Log.d("UniMag","onReceiveMsgFailureInfo -- " + arg1);
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgSDCardDFailed(String arg0) {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgSDCardDFailed -- " + arg0);
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgTimeout(String arg0) {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgTimeout -- " + arg0);
        Log.d("UniMag","Timed out!");
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgToConnect() {
        Log.d("UniMag","Swiper Powered Up");
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgToSwipeCard() {
        Log.d("UniMag","onReceiveMsgToSwipeCard");      
    }

    @Override
    public void onReceiveMsgAutoConfigCompleted(StructConfigParameters arg0) {
        Log.d("UniMag", "onReceiveMsgAutoConfigCompleted");
    }
}

Answer 2

I found that the 3.8 demo app they ship with the SDK has a bug where it will not connect to an Android gt-p3113 tablet unless you go into settings on the app on the phone and turn off 'Command To Connect'.