The format of an encoding description is an INI file using sections, elements and values. There are standard sections in the file that contain information:

The encoding description file includes a header and basic definitions, explained below.

Each encoding description file has a header, consisting of the Encoding section, for example:

[Encoding]
Type=1024,Chip
Devices=8710
MessagingServerField=#LocalTestServer

The header contains the following elements:

[Fields]
MESSAGING_SERVER_CONFIG=

[Encoding]
MessagingServerField=MESSAGING_SERVER_CONFIG

[Encoding]
MessagingServerField=#MyMessagingServerConfigName

Some basic definitions are needed for PKI card encoding use cases.

1. Define the PKCS#11 library like this:

   Code Block
   [Description] ... PKCS11Library=siecap11.dll ...

   Description of the elements:
   

   Element	Description
   PKCS11Library	Defines the PKCS#11 library to be used (for example, siecap11.dll). You can also specify additional/alternative variants that specify the operating system and CPU architecture, for example, PKCS11LibraryWindows32= for 32 bit processes running on Windows. JPKIEncoder will select the most precise match.
   PKCSLibraryField	Can alternatively be used to refer to a mapped field containing the value.

   
   

2. Depending on the requirements for an operating system and/or platform specific definition, use the following library definitions (as many definitions as required):

   1. PKCS11LibraryWindows[64|32]=<library name>

   2. PKCS11LibraryWindows[64|32]Field=<library name>

Recommendations:

• Notations without 'Windows' are not recommended. Other operating systems are not supported at the moment.

• Always state whether you refer to a 64Bit DLL or to a 32Bit one.

• Operating system is always required when platform is specified.

Examples:

[Fields]
P11LIB_32=
P11LIB_64=
...
 
[Description]
PKCS11LibraryWindows64=cardos_64.dll  // if your middleware doesn't provide a 64-bit DLL just skip this entry
PKCS11LibraryWindows32=cardos.dll     // if you don't need a 32-bit DLL just skip this entry
...
PKCS11LibraryWindows64Field=P11LIB_64   // It's recommended to provide the fields always as a pair and use null for the architecture, that doesn't apply
PKCS11LibraryWindows32Field=P11LIB_32
...

PKCS#11 library definition for use with Nexus Personal Desktop App

Nexus PRIME uses Nexus Personal Desktop App to encode cards with PRIME Self-Service as well as optionally with PRIME Explorer.

For this use case you need to specify the middleware DLL as follows:

1. Always use the DLL suffix of the name and be clear what type of DLL you are referring to.

2. If the middleware requires a 32 bit DLL to operate properly (like Nexus Personal Desktop Client), make sure that PKCS11LibraryWindows32 is the only library definition in the encoding description. You also need to specify the absolute path with forward-slashes (even if the containing folder is in the PATH environment variable), for example:
   

   Code Block
   PKCS11LibraryWindows32=C:\/Program Files (x86)\/Personal\/bin\/personal.dll

   
   

3. For other middlewares, define both PKCS11LibraryWindows32 and PKCS11LibraryWindows64, for example:
   

   Code Block
   PKCS11LibraryWindows32=cardos11.dll PKCS11LibraryWindows64=cardos11_64.dll

   
   

Currently, MiniDriver support in PRIME is limited to the JPKIEncoder (that is, no support for Nexus Personal Desktop App), CardOS middleware and certain specific use cases (SKI, reading MDCardSerialNumber, writing CardD).

PRIME uses it to complement PKCS#11, not as a replacement - hence you still need to specify the PKCS#11 library definition shown above as well.

This is an example of a MiniDriver definition:

[Description]
...
MiniDriverLibraryWindows32=cardoscm.dll
MiniDriverLibraryWindows64=cardoscm64.dll
...	

Description of the elements:

Recommendations:

As MiniDriver libraries are specific to Windows, it is highly recommended to use this more specific nomenclature:

• MiniDriverLibraryWindows[platform]=<library name>
• MiniDriverLibraryWindows[platform]Field=<library name>
  where platform is 32 or 64.

Example:

Same as with PKCS#11 library definitions, you can also specify absolute paths and use the Field variants to specify mapped fields containing the name of the library:

MiniDriverLibraryWindows32=c:\windows\SysWoW64\cardoscm.dll MiniDriverLibraryWindows64=c:\windows\system32\cardoscm64.dll MiniDriverLibraryWindows32Field=MD32_FIELD MiniDriverLibraryWindows64Field=MD64_FIELD

This is an example of ApplicationList definition:

[Description]
...
ApplicationList=ABC
...

Description of the elements:

You can encode a subset of all applications defined in your encoding description file through mapped fields. Define there, for example, just “BC” to encode just application B and C without application A. You set a field and a special element ApplicationListField which points to the field instead the regular property ApplicationList:

[Fields]
AppList=
 
[Description]
ApplicationListField=AppList
 
[Application_A]
...
[Application_B]
...
[Application_C]
...

Description of the elements:

Certificate template definition can be defined via the CertTempl element in the respective Application section of the encoding description:

[Fields]
...
 
[Description]
...
 
[Application_A]
CertTempl=MyCertTemplate

Description of the elements:

Certificate template definition can also be defined via field mapping fields. This can be achieved via the CertTemplField element in the respective Application section of the encoding description. Also add the field names to the Fields section.

[Fields]
...
MyCertTemplField1=
MyCertTemplField2=
 
[Description]
...
 
[Application_A]
...
CertTemplField=MyCertTemplField1
 
 
[Application_B]
...
CertTemplField=MyCertTemplField2

Description of the elements: