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you do not need a card to get the firmware version.
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Power on the chip (ICC):
Start with the card seated. The ICC will automatically power down after a few moments.
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Get the ICC reader status:
It will tell you if the ICC is currently powered on and/or if a card is seated in the reader.
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With a financial chip card:
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Use an EMV chip-enabled card. Start with the card seated. The options in (2) will auto-authenticate and auto-complete... if these options are not set you will need to run the Authenticate EMV and Complete EMV commands manual. The results will vary depending on the card you use.
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