Startup Guide and Software Downloads for the BasicCard®

BasicCard is the first BASIC programmable SmartCard. Below you find all information and software tools to develop your own SmartCard by use of ZeitControl BasicCard. All this is available for free download.

Experienced BasicCard users click here to go to the download overview.

How BasicCard Works

There exist two types of so called chip cards. While one type of cards (memory cards) are just a bunch of EEPROM storage, second type of cards like BasicCard is more like a small computer. It includes a microcontroller with RAM for operation, ROM for holding the BasicCard OS and EEPROM for holding your data and your program. It communicates with the outer world through its chip contacts by use of a bi-directional serial interface. This interface and most other SmartCard related facts are standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in ISO 7816 standard.

Having a microcontroller inside a Smartcard is an advantage of this technology. This is because only the microcontroller is in control of all other parts (communication, RAM, ROM and EEPROM). This means only the program executed by the microcontroller has access to data stored in EEPROM and so your program decides which data is exchanged with the outer world and which conditions are required before this data can be exchanged.

In the past it was very difficult and expensive to create programs for smart cards, but now with BasicCard you can do it your self. Start here by downloading the development manual, the BasicCard development software or by ordering the complete development kit.

Development Software Download

  • BasicCard Development Software V8.55 (2016-09-28)
    This software is required for all BasicCard developments!

  • BasicCard .Net Library V2.5 (2017-09-26).
    Download Windows Installer (about 3 MB) or
    Zipped binaries for Linux (about 6 MB).
    Using this class library you can access BasicCards from .Net applications. This library supports Windows operating system with .Net 4.0 runtime or Linux operating systems with Mono runtime corresponding to .Net version 4.0. By this the BasicCard .Net Library supports Visual Basic .Net, C#, Visual C/C++ .Net, MonoDevelop C# and any other .Net developing language. The BasicCard .Net Library V2.5  replaces the BasicCard API/OCX. and previous versions of BasicCard .Net Library.

  • BasicCard Java Library V0.95 (2005-04-04)
    Using this class library you can access BasicCards from Java applications.

  • Order online the full BasicCard Development Kit

Manual and Documentation

Additional Tools, Examples and Information

Previous Software Versions

Just in case you need an older version of BasicCard software.

Third Party Tools, Examples and Demos

    BasicSIM BasicCard image files for article in Elektor electronic magazine and Patrick Gueulles' Book "TELEPHONES PORTABLES ET PC" (2nd edition), to be released in summer 2002 (see http://www.dunod.com). Elektor acrticle is published in following Elektor releases: German, May 2002, Number 377; France, April 2002, Number 286; United Kingdom, May 2002, Number 310. (2002-04-08)

  • BasicNFC : programming NFC (Near Field Communication) capabilities into the contactless BasicCard. By Patrick Gueulle. (2011-09-20)

mailtoContact: Sales@basiccard.com

This page was last changed on: 2017-09-25

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