About Configuration

The device provides two mechanisms for the host to retrieve information about the device and to configure / customize device behavior:

• Properties are smaller configuration values (generally up to 255 bytes and often significantly smaller). The device stores properties in a hierarchical tree, where each property has its own unique ID (sometimes referred to as an Object Identifier or OID) that identifies its position in the tree. The host can set and get properties using the commands in Command Group 0xD1nn - Settings and Information. For further information about OIDs, see Appendix A Object IDs (OIDs) and ITU-T X660.

• Files are larger configuration values, which include custom graphics files and large configuration data blobs such as EMV terminal and application settings. Each file has a unique identifier more akin to a file path in a file system. The host can set and get files using the commands in Command Group 0xD8nn - File Operations.

This section focuses on properties, which the host can either read from the device to retrieve device information (such as its PCI hardware ID, serial number, firmware revision numbers, etc.), or write to the device to change device behavior, or to store values for future reference.

Property unique IDs represent a tree structure, where each property is at the “leaf” level of the tree. Some operations allow the host to work with entire groups of properties (branches or even the trunk containing all its leaves) by using a property number representing a higher level of the tree.

Each property (a “leaf” in the tree) is described in a subsection below, including whether it can be written to, how it is secured, how to construct or interpret its value(s), and how it affects device behavior.

To reflect this hierarchy, this section of the document groups settings by major categories that correspond to the tree structure, which roughly breaks down into overall property type, module, and submodule.