BLE GATT for tablet apps and web connectivity for USB-connected readers

Improved online documentation & useful resources

The resources section of the website now has information on partnerships, case studies, and a news and views section with various updates and industry insights.

Recent posts that you may find interesting include:

• Enhancing the gym experience with NFC Wallet
• Why retail loyalty will move to NFC
• Football clubs: migration to NFC Wallet tickets

Wireless VTAP PRO readers now support BLE GATT

The VTAP100 PRO BW reader (which has 2.4GHz Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interfaces) now supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Generic Attribute service (GATT). This is important for efficient connectivity with devices such as tablets or other touchscreen mobile devices (running iOS, Android or Windows), where USB cannot be used.

When a VTAP reader is tapped, the target app on the device will be notified as soon as data is available (via BLE GATT) along with the entire tap data payload, increasing read speed. The reader does not need to be paired with the device via its own operating system settings, providing greater app configuration flexibility. Apps on iPads can directly discover and connect with the reader, from within the app itself, when using the iOS CoreBluetooth API.

VTAP100 PRO BW readers also support these Bluetooth features:

• Bluetooth beacon operation to surface NFC passes on nearby iPhone screens
• Barcode/QR code scanner pairing to enable legacy optical code scanning
• BLE keyboard emulation for sending taps to an app on a mobile device

Read the Bluetooth GATT Application Note for more info.

VTAP Agent: Connect USB VTAP readers to the web

VTAP Agent allows USB-connected VTAP readers, attached to a Windows PC, to interface with web applications. It simplifies integration with touchscreen unattended kiosks/tablets, staffed desktop PCs and back-end cloud platforms. It supports two modes of operation:

• Connect to a front-end web application, allowing tap data to be sent directly to web pages and forms in a local browser. This works using simple JavaScript commands to query VTAP Agent’s built-in local web server, to read tap data and send it straight to the web. This can, for example, trigger an immediate customer lookup, rather than relying on a web form to capture the data. Or it can ensure the NFC pass data is inserted into the correct form field, instead of depending on the entry box having keyboard ‘focus’.
• Connect to the VTAP Cloud platform, enabling NFC tap data and the reader location to be sent to any API endpoint. The response can be routed back to the reader to drive actions such as beeps and LED feedback.

VTAP Cloud also offers facilities for remote management readers: status monitoring, setting configuration options, and firmware updates.

The free VTAP Agent software runs in the background as a Windows service and uses USB COM ports to communicate with local VTAP readers. It’s easy to configure and manage via a simple web browser interface.

Read the VTAP Agent User Guide for more info.