baltech-sdk 5.2026.6.1

SDK to communicate with Baltech RFID readers.

Baltech SDK

Installation

pip install baltech-sdk

Usage

from baltech_sdk import Brp, UsbHid

# Sample code for GetInfo
with Brp(UsbHid()) as brp:
    print(brp.Sys_GetInfo())

# This is a shortcut for:
io = UsbHid()
brp = Brp(io, open=False)
brp.open()
print(brp.Sys_GetInfo())
brp.close()

A complete reference of the supported commands can be found here.

Supported IO protocols

from baltech_sdk import Brp, UsbHid, RS232

# USB HID autodetect connected reader
brp = Brp(UsbHid())

# USB HID by serialnumber
brp = Brp(UsbHid(serialnumber=99999999))

# Serial with (optional) custom settings
brp = Brp(RS232("COM1", baudrate=115200, parity=b"N"))

Reader Update

from baltech_sdk import Brp, UsbHid, ReaderUpdater

with Brp(UsbHid(), open=True) as brp:
    updater = ReaderUpdater.from_path("firmware.bf3")

    # simple upload
    updater.run(brp)

    # upload with progress
    for progress in updater.iter(brp):
        print(f"{progress.progress:.0%} ({progress.transferred_bytes} bytes)")

Access Reader Configuration

from baltech_sdk import Config

cfg_src = {(0x0201, 0x02): b'\x01'}   # instead of a confDict also a brp object 
                                     # can be passed to modify reader's 
                                     # configuration directly
cfg = Config(cfg_src)

# set value
cfg.Device_Boot_StartAutoreadAtPowerup("EnableOnce")

# get value
print(cfg.Device_Boot_StartAutoreadAtPowerup.get())

# delete value
cfg.Device_Boot_StartAutoreadAtPowerup.delete()

Templates and BaltechScripts

from baltech_sdk import Config, Template, BaltechScript, TemplateFilter

confdict = {}
cfg = Config(confdict)

cfg.Scripts_Events_OnAccepted(
    BaltechScript()
        .ToggleInverted("RedLed", RepeatCount=3, Delay=20)
        .Toggle("GreenLed", RepeatCount=1, Delay=20)
        .DefaultAction()
)
cfg.Autoread_Rule_Template(
    0, 
    Template()
        .Static(b"SNR:")
        .Serialnr(TemplateFilter(BinToAscii=True, Unpack=True, BinToBcd=True))
)
print(confdict)

Linux or macOS

To use baltech-sdk under Linux or macOS you need to build your own binary of the BaltechSDK and manually set the path to your binary.

from pathlib import Path
from baltech_sdk import set_brp_lib_path

set_brp_lib_path(Path("path/to/brp_lib"))

Custom protocols

Implement your own protocol in Python by subclassing CustomProtocol. Override only the methods you need; not overriding a method makes it a transparent passthrough to the layer below. Add the role marker (IoProtocol / CryptoProtocol) matching where the protocol is meant to be mounted.

A byte-stream I/O transport (here over a TCP socket) overrides send_frame and recv_frame. recv_frame drives the framing loop: missing_bytes_cb(chunk) appends chunk and returns how many bytes are still missing (0 = frame complete):

import socket
from baltech_sdk import Brp, CustomProtocol, IoProtocol
from brp_lib.err import BrpTimeoutError

class TcpIo(CustomProtocol, IoProtocol):
    INTERFACE_NAME = "IP"                      # log filename "{interface}-{instance}.html"

    def __init__(self, host, port):
        super().__init__()
        self.host, self.port = host, port

    @property
    def instance_id(self):                     # the "{instance}" half (e.g. "IP-192.168.0.42.html")
        return self.host

    def open(self):
        super().open()
        self.sock = socket.create_connection((self.host, self.port), timeout=5)

    def close(self):
        self.sock.close()
        super().close()

    def send_frame(self, data):
        self.sock.sendall(data)

    def recv_frame(self, timeout, missing_bytes_cb):
        self.sock.settimeout(None if timeout is None else timeout / 1000)
        chunk = b""
        while True:
            n = missing_bytes_cb(chunk)       # bytes still missing (0 = complete)
            if n == 0:
                break
            try:
                chunk = self.sock.recv(n)
            except (socket.timeout, TimeoutError):
                raise BrpTimeoutError()
            if not chunk:
                raise BrpTimeoutError()

with Brp(TcpIo("192.168.0.42", 9999)) as brp:
    print(brp.Sys_GetInfo())

(A message/datagram transport that reads whole frames overrides recv_any_frame(timeout) instead of recv_frame.)

A middle layer transforms whole frames and forwards them to the layer below via self.base (here a toy obfuscation in the crypto slot). It can also run a handshake when the stack is opened by extending open: super().open() brings up the layer below, then exchange frames over it; raise a BrpError to abort (the stack stays closed):

from baltech_sdk import Brp, UsbHid, CustomProtocol, CryptoProtocol, Layer
from brp_lib.err import OpenIOError

class XorLayer(CustomProtocol, CryptoProtocol):
    def open(self):
        super().open()                            # opens the layer below first
        self.base.send_frame(b"AUTH-REQ")          # negotiated in clear (no XOR)
        if self.base.recv_any_frame(2000) != b"AUTH-OK":
            raise OpenIOError("handshake rejected")

    def send_frame(self, data):
        self.base.send_frame(bytes(b ^ 0x5A for b in data))

    def recv_any_frame(self, timeout=None):
        return bytes(b ^ 0x5A for b in self.base.recv_any_frame(timeout))

brp = Brp(UsbHid())
brp.set_layer(Layer.CRYPTO, XorLayer())
brp.open()                                    # runs XorLayer.open()

For open/close, extend with super() as usual — like every implementor of an open callback (in C too), an override is responsible for bringing up the layer below itself, and super().open() does exactly that (forget it and the handshake send_frame fails on the still-closed base). For data methods, forward through self.base, never super() — their base implementations are "not implemented" markers, the layer below is reached via base. self.base.send_frame / self.base.recv_any_frame exchange raw frames with the layer directly below. For high-level command negotiation (e.g. brp.Sys_GetInfo()), run it after brp.open() — those calls need the BRP framing layer above this one.

Further parameters on connections fors sensible data

Additional Options:

• AES based Encryption can be activated
• Enabled monitoring can be suppressed or extended to plaintext

from baltech_sdk import Brp, UsbHid, SecureChannel

KEY = b'abcdefghijklmnuk'
brp = Brp(UsbHid(), 
          crypto=SecureChannel(security_level=1, key=KEY),  # encrypt communication
          monitor="plaintext"                               # log unencrypted data (if activated by user)
)