Over the holidays each year, I try and work on a project that is interesting and requires a bunch of uninterrupted time. This year, I decided to investigate a way to solve NFC on iPad. The idea was to simply hand someone an iPad and have them authenticate quickly. I had already written proof of concept app for using AutoFill on iPad, CryptoTokenKit driver for CCID readers for RFID tags, and an app that could send the correct APDU commands. However, I still wasn’t happy. The reader is connected via a USB cable with an adapter. I wanted something that showed that you could do a quick handoff of to an NFC enabled iPad.
I found a CCID (smart card USB) NFC board from ACS and it worked great with my CryptoTokenKit extension. It was small and had a board connector to USB-A. The Apple multimedia connector has USB-C, USB-A and a place to pass power through. I hooked it all up and it worked fine, but it’s a mess of cables and connectors. I then designed a case and did a bunch of 3d prints. I ended up with an enclosure that attached to the back of the iPad, was completely self contained, could power the iPad, and you could just tap an RFID card or tag.
When trying it out, there was something magical about having it all together and to log in to a website or app with a tap. I found myself going back and authenticating again since the process was so smooth.
I made a video and an article on our site showing the whole process:
That article has a link to the app and to readers that work. We have a few customers that are excited about it and I just love the feeling of passing them an iPad, having them tap it, and allowing them to get right to work. Works like it should.
