Arch Linux

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 187

How to identify a device that doesn't show up anywhere? NFC reader

My laptop have a NFC reader that doesn't show up anywhere. It is not a case of not being supported, it is nowhere to be found.

I believe it is a USB device. And may be integrated in the touchpad... but more likely not.

It work(ed) on windows and is enabled in the BIOS. I don't want to install windows again just to check the device 

The manufacturer is useless (HP). The order summary or details by serial number doesn't even show this device have NFC reader. The manual have one little paragraph about it, and show the location in the wrong place! (manual shows in the middle of the touchpad, but when I used it on windows, it is very obviously to the left of touchpad, on the palm rest area)

it doesn't show up on any kernel message. doesn't show up on lspci or lsusb or lshw.

The smartcard reader have a power save feature. It is turned off by default, and there's a physical switch inside that turns the device on (i.e. plugs in a usb device)... and it works fine on kernel 5+

I tried to watch logs while approaching NFC tags on the reader but that doesn't seem to "wake" any device as far as the kernel can see.

Any suggestions? If there's nothing easy on software i might start opening it up to look for the actual device or install windows... both will cause me headaches with our asset management systems so i'm trying to avoid

laptop is a HP_EliteBook_845_14in_G9

Last edited by gcb (2025-02-07 15:02:50)

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 187

Re: How to identify a device that doesn't show up anywhere? NFC reader

forgot to paste logs. Note that the smart card reader DOES work and show up on these logs. the NFC, there's nothing about it.

# journalctl -xeu pcscd.service | more
Feb 07 14:37:36 elite systemd[1]: Started PC/SC Smart Card Daemon.
 Subject: A start job for unit pcscd.service has finished successfully
 Defined-By: systemd
 Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
 
 A start job for unit pcscd.service has finished successfully.
 
 The job identifier is 4339.
Feb 07 14:37:36 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000000 commands.c:249:CmdPowerOn Card absent or mute
Feb 07 14:37:36 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000029 ifdhandler.c:1303:IFDHPowerICC() PowerUp failed
Feb 07 14:37:36 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000006 ../PCSC/src/eventhandler.c:303:EHStatusHandlerThread() Error powering up card: rv=SCARD_E_NOT_TRA
NSACTED
Feb 07 14:37:42 elite pcscd[7412]: 05417296 ccid_usb.c:1068:ReadUSB() read failed (3/6): LIBUSB_ERROR_IO
Feb 07 14:37:42 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000020 ../PCSC/src/ifdwrapper.c:369:IFDStatusICC() Card not transacted: 612
Feb 07 14:37:42 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000007 ../PCSC/src/eventhandler.c:334:EHStatusHandlerThread() Error communicating to: Alcor Micro AU9540
 00 00
Feb 07 14:37:42 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000023 ccid_usb.c:1574:InterruptRead() libusb_submit_transfer failed: LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:37:50 elite pcscd[7412]: 08215043 commands.c:249:CmdPowerOn Card absent or mute
Feb 07 14:37:50 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000022 ifdhandler.c:1303:IFDHPowerICC() PowerUp failed
Feb 07 14:37:50 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000007 ../PCSC/src/winscard.c:333:SCardConnect() Error powering up card: rv=SCARD_E_NOT_TRANSACTED
Feb 07 14:37:50 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000005 ../PCSC/src/winscard.c:339:SCardConnect() Card Not Powered
Feb 07 14:37:50 elite pcscd[7412]: 00400530 ../PCSC/src/eventhandler.c:108:EHUnregisterClientForEvent() Can't remove client: 12
Feb 07 14:37:50 elite pcscd[7412]: 00003239 ../PCSC/src/winscard.c:259:SCardConnect() Reader Alcor Micro AU9540 00 00 Not Found
Feb 07 14:37:56 elite pcscd[7412]: 05349560 commands.c:249:CmdPowerOn Card absent or mute
Feb 07 14:37:56 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000042 ifdhandler.c:1303:IFDHPowerICC() PowerUp failed
Feb 07 14:37:56 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000008 ../PCSC/src/eventhandler.c:303:EHStatusHandlerThread() Error powering up card: rv=SCARD_E_NOT_TRA
NSACTED
Feb 07 14:37:57 elite pcscd[7412]: 01687336 ccid_usb.c:1068:ReadUSB() read failed (3/8): LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:37:57 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000058 ccid_usb.c:1574:InterruptRead() libusb_submit_transfer failed: LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:38:01 elite pcscd[7412]: 03991529 commands.c:249:CmdPowerOn Card absent or mute
Feb 07 14:38:01 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000040 ifdhandler.c:1303:IFDHPowerICC() PowerUp failed
Feb 07 14:38:01 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000009 ../PCSC/src/eventhandler.c:303:EHStatusHandlerThread() Error powering up card: rv=SCARD_E_NOT_TRA
NSACTED
Feb 07 14:38:02 elite pcscd[7412]: 00894326 ccid_usb.c:1068:ReadUSB() read failed (3/9): LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:38:02 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000063 ccid_usb.c:1574:InterruptRead() libusb_submit_transfer failed: LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:45:54 elite pcscd[7412]: 99999999 ccid_usb.c:1068:ReadUSB() read failed (3/10): LIBUSB_ERROR_IO
Feb 07 14:45:54 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000019 ../PCSC/src/ifdwrapper.c:369:IFDStatusICC() Card not transacted: 612
Feb 07 14:45:54 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000020 ccid_usb.c:961:WriteUSB() write failed (3/10): LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:45:54 elite pcscd[7412]: 00000013 ccid_usb.c:1574:InterruptRead() libusb_submit_transfer failed: LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE
Feb 07 14:46:53 elite systemd[1]: pcscd.service: Deactivated successfully.
 Subject: Unit succeeded
 Defined-By: systemd
 Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,354

Re: How to identify a device that doesn't show up anywhere? NFC reader

It could also be on the SMBus ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Management_Bus ).  NFC devices don't require much in the way of bandwidth, so USB would be a serious overkill. 

Another possibility is that it is on a USB device, but the system is hiding it from you if you are not running windows.  You might play with the kernel command line in your bootloader https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v4.14/a … eters.html with the acpi_os_name parameter.

It might also be on the LPC bus ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Pin_Count ) Again, good for low bandwidth stuff.  For that bus, you really need to know the port address because it is not a discoverable bus.

Regardless, as NFC is used for bank and identification cards, it could very well require some sort of authentication and encryption once you find it.

---

Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 187

Re: How to identify a device that doesn't show up anywhere? NFC reader

You are right. I booted windows and installed some drivers.

it show up as ... well, i can't make sense of the crap windows show... but it smells as acpi/smbus/i2c

BIOS device name: \.SB.I2CB.NPC2
Hardware IDs: ACPI\VEN_NXP&DEV_8013
Parent: ACPI\AMDI0010\1
Dependecy providers: ACPI\AMDI0010\1, ACPI\AMDI0030\0
Location Paths: ACPI(_SB_)#ACPI(I2CB)#ACPI(NPC2)
Physical Device Objet name: \Device\00000062
Reported device Ids hash: 61039C3A
IRQ: 0x00000408 (1032)

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 187

Re: How to identify a device that doesn't show up anywhere? NFC reader

I am guessing this is being upstreamed on https://github.com/nfc-tools/libnfc/issues/455