12.
Accessory Authentication
Accessory authentication provides a mechanism for Apple devices to trust the identities and feature sets of
accessories that are compliant with this specification.
It is also possible for an accessory to require the Apple device to authenticate itself to the accessory. For more
details, see Device Authentication (page 523).
12.1 Accessory Authentication Requirements
The accessory hardware must incorporate an Apple Authentication Coprocessor, version 2.0B or 2.0C. Version
2.0C is strongly recommended and specified in Apple Authentication Coprocessor 2.0C (page 66). Earlier
versions of the authentication coprocessor are not allowed.
An accessory may use one authentication processor to authenticate itself to more than one Apple device.
Conversely, multiple accessories must not share one authentication coprocessor or authenticate on behalf of
each other to the same Apple device.
12.1.1 Accessory Authentication over iAP2 Requirements
The accessory must have successfully established an iAP2 link over an iAP2 transport.
All accessories that support the Accessory Authentication feature via iAP2 must send or receive the following
iAP2 control session message(s):
RequestAuthenticationCertificate (page 805)
AuthenticationCertificate (page 805)
RequestAuthenticationChallengeResponse (page 805)
AuthenticationResponse (page 806)
AuthenticationFailed (page 806)
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12.2 Accessory Authentication Usage
12.2 Accessory Authentication Usage
12.2.1 Accessory Authentication over iAP2 Usage
Authentication over iAP2 is always initiated with the transmission of a RequestAuthenticationCertificate (page
805) message from the Apple device to the accessory.
If control session version 2 is in use and the RequestAuthenticationCertificate (page 805) message contains a
RequestAuthenticationCertificateSerialNumber parameter, the accessory should retrieve the X.509 certificate
serial number from its Apple authentication coprocessor and transmit it to the Apple device using an
AccessoryAuthenticationSerialNumber (page 807) message.
If the serial number is not available or the RequestAuthenticationCertificateSerialNumber parameter is not
present, the accessory must retrieve the X.509 certificate from its Apple authentication coprocessor and transmit
it to the Apple device using an AuthenticationCertificate (page 805) message. The certificate must be sent
within 1 second of receiving the RequestAuthenticationCertificate (page 805).
If the certificate is valid, the Apple device will respond with a RequestAuthenticationChallengeResponse (page
805) message. The accessory then must use the Apple authentication coprocessor to compute a response to
the authentication challenge and send an AuthenticationResponse (page 806) message with the response. This
response must be sent within 2 seconds of receiving the RequestAuthenticationChallengeResponse (page 805)
message.
If the authentication response is correct, then the Apple device will send an AuthenticationSucceeded (page
806) message. The accessory must immediately proceed to Accessory Identification (page 265) unless it is using
control session version 2 and has already identified (see Control Session (page 789)). With control session version
2, once the Apple device starts authentication, the accessory must complete the process within 15 seconds.
To demonstrate correct handling of the AuthenticationFailed (page 806) message during self-certification,
accessories must send an empty or invalid certificate when the Apple Authentication Coprocessor is not present.
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12.3 Accessory Authentication Examples
12.3 Accessory Authentication Examples
12.3.1 Typical Accessory Authentication over iAP2
Device Accessory Coprocessor
Control Session and I2C Accessory Authentication
RequestAuthenticationCertificate
RequestAuthenticationCertificateSerialNumber
Read Certificate Serial Number
Certificate Serial Number
AccessoryAuthenticationSerialNumber
X.509 Certificate Serial Number
RequestAuthenticationCertificate
Read Certificate Data Length
Certificate Data Length
Read Certificate Data
Certificate Data
X.509 Certificate <Accessory Certificate Data>
AuthenticationCertificate
X.509 Certificate <Accessory Certificate Data>
RequestAuthenticationChallengeResponse
<Challenge Data>
Write Challenge Length
<Challenge Data Length>
Write Challenge Data
<Challenge Data>
Write Authentication Control:
PROC_CONTROL=1
Read Status
Status:
PROC_RESULTS=1
Read Challenge Response Length
<Challenge Response Data Length>
Challenge Response Length
<Challenge Response Data Length>
Read Challenge Response Data
<Challenge Response Data>
Challenge Response Data
<Challenge Response Data>
AuthenticationResponse
<Challenge Response Data>
AuthenticationSucceeded
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12.3 Accessory Authentication Examples
12.3.2 Accessory Authentication over iAP2 Failure Due To Invalid Certificate
Device Accessory
Control Session Accessory Authentication
RequestAuthenticationCertificate
AuthenticationCertificate
AuthenticationFailed
12.3.3 Accessory Authentication over iAP2 Failure Due To Invalid Response
Device Accessory
Control Session Accessory Authentication
RequestAuthenticationCertificate
AuthenticationCertificate
RequestAuthenticationChallengeResponse
AuthenticationResponse
AuthenticationFailed
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13. Accessory Identification
All accessory interface features other than charging require that the identification feature be supported.
13.1 Accessory Identification Requirements
The accessory must have successfully completed Accessory Authentication (page 261) unless using control
session version 2. See Control Session (page 789).
Control session version 2 allows the Apple device to choose the order of identification and authentication, so
the accessory must be ready for either StartIdentification (page 807) or RequestAuthenticationCertificate (page
805) after successful link layer negotiation.
13.2 Accessory Identification Usage
All accessories that support the Accessory Identification feature via iAP2 must send or receive the following
iAP2 control session message(s):
StartIdentification (page 807)
IdentificationInformation (page 807)
IdentificationAccepted (page 816)
IdentificationRejected (page 817)
CancelIdentification (page 819)
All accessories that support the Accessory Identification feature via iAP2 may also send or receive the following
iAP2 control session message(s):
IdentificationInformationUpdate (page 819)
Identification is always initiated with the transmission of a StartIdentification (page 807) message from the
Apple device to the accessory. The accessory must respond with a IdentificationInformation (page 807) message.
The IdentificationInformation (page 807) message is evaluated by the Apple device to determine whether all
of the requested iAP2 connection features are supported. If the parameters are valid and the Apple device can
support all of the requested messages, it will send a IdentificationAccepted (page 816) message to the accessory.
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13.2 Accessory Identification Usage
Otherwise, a IdentificationRejected (page 817) message is sent detailing which invalid parameters and
unsupported messages were present in the previous IdentificationInformation (page 807) message. Note that
it is possible for the list of unsupported messages to be empty; that is an indication of incorrect accessory
implementation, rather than unsupported features on a specific device.
Accessory Test System (ATS) output and Apple device console logs (see 'Getting Crash Logs and Console Output'
at http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#qa/qa1747/ will also provide additional supporting information
which is useful for accessory development. Apple strongly recommends that accessory developers pay close
attention to both ATS and the device logs.
If the identification information has been rejected, the accessory must send another
IdentificationInformation (page 807) message with different parameters or abort the identification process
using CancelIdentification (page 819). Cancellation of the identification process will cause the Apple device to
inform the user that the accessory is not supported.
Failure of the accessory to send IdentificationInformation (page 807) within 1 second of either
StartIdentification (page 807) or IdentificationRejected (page 817) is grounds for failing to pass self certification.
Once IdentificationAccepted (page 816) is received, the accessory must not send any more identification
messages other than IdentificationInformationUpdate (page 819).
It is possible for an accessory to update its identification information after IdentificationAccepted (page 816)
by sending an IdentificationInformationUpdate (page 819) message. For example, the user may change the
accessory's active language. When that occurs, the accessory must send an
IdentificationInformationUpdate (page 819) message containing both the new active language and accessory
information strings in the new language.
If the identification process fails or the accessory cancels identification, the Apple device may choose to restart
the identification process or terminate the iAP2 link.
13.2.1 Accessory Identification of Manufacturing Information
Accessories must provide values for the following IdentificationInformation (page 807) message parameters
that match the accessory's marking and packaging:
● Name
● ModelIdentifier
● Manufacturer
● SerialNumber
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13.2 Accessory Identification Usage
Additionally, the FirmwareVersion and HardwareVersion parameter values must uniquely reflect the
current revision of the accessory's firmware and hardware respectively.
Accessories must not provide blank or generic string values (such as those provided by a reference design or
component vendor) for any manufacturing information parameters.
The SerialNumber parameter should be unique for each accessory (i.e. serialized); Apple devices may use this
to differentiate multiple accessories of the same type.
13.2.2 Accessory Identification of Sent/Received iAP2 Control Session Messages
The MessagesSentByAccessory and MessagesReceivedFromDevice parameters in
IdentificationInformation (page 807) are critical to accessory identification. Accessories must exhaustively
enumerate all iAP2 control session messages that they can send or receive. During the self certification process,
the accessory must be used in a manner that demonstrates correct implementation of all declared messages.
There is only one exception to this requirement. Messages associated with the Authentication and Identification
features do not need to be in the MessagesSentByAccessory or MessagesReceivedFromDevice lists, as
all accessories that implement iAP2 must support those features.
13.2.3 Accessory Identification of Power Capabilities
All accessories must provide values for the PowerProvidingCapability and
MaximumCurrentDrawnFromDevice parameters in their IdentificationInformation (page 807) messages.
If an accessory does not provide power to the Apple device, PowerProvidingCapability must be set to
None.
If an accessory does not draw power from the Apple device, MaximumCurrentDrawnFromDevice must be
set to 0.
Otherwise, the accessory must set those parameters as required by Power (page 660).
13.2.4 Accessory Identification of iAP2 Transport Components
Every accessory that implements iAP2 must identify one and only one transport component that supports an
iAP2 connection. That transport component must contain a TransportSupportsiAP2Connection parameter.
Depending on the type of transport, additional identifying information, such as a Media Access Control (MAC)
address, may be required. The iAP2 connection must be implemented using the identified transport component.
Some accessory interface features require a specific transport component to be implemented in order to
function. This requirement is independent of whether or not an iAP2 connection is implemented on that
transport. For example, an accessory must identify a USBDeviceModeTransportComponent for Digital Audio
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13.3 Accessory Identification Examples
over the USB Device Mode transport. Every identified transport component must have a unique identifier and
human-readable name that reflects the intended purpose of the component, such as 'iAP2' or 'Digital Audio
Speakers'.
All transport components must have unique identifiers.
13.2.5 Additional Accessory Identification Parameters
Several accessory interface features require the accessory to supply additional identification parameters. See
the appropriate sections in the specification for details.
13.3 Accessory Identification Examples
13.3.1 Typical Accessory Identification
Device Accessory
Control Session Accessory Identification
StartIdentification
IdentificationInformation
IdentificationAccepted
13.3.2 Successful Accessory Identification With Two Tries
Device Accessory
Control Session Accessory Identification
StartIdentification
IdentificationInformation
IdentificationRejected
IdentificationInformation
IdentificationAccepted
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13.4 Test Procedures
13.3.3 Unsuccessful Accessory Identification After Two Tries
Device Accessory
Control Session Accessory Identification
StartIdentification
IdentificationInformation
IdentificationRejected
IdentificationInformation
IdentificationRejected
CancelIdentification
13.3.4 Accessory Identification With Information Update
Device Accessory
Control Session Accessory Identification
StartIdentification
IdentificationInformation
IdentificationAccepted
IdentificationInformationUpdate
13.4 Test Procedures
Equipment Required
● Latest revision of ATS software
● ATS hardware
1. Verify that the accessory identifies with all of the required accessory information fields in the ATS iAP
Summary.
a. Connect the accessory and the Apple device to ATS.
b. View iAP Summary page.
c. Confirm required fields (Name, brand, etc.) are correctly filled in (no "filler" entries, such as ACME,
1234, etc.)
2. Verify that the accessory supports and is connected to a non-IDPS supported device such as iPod Classic,
that it properly falls back to Identify Device Lingoes when attached to the non-IDPS device.
a. Connect the accessory and the non-IDPS Apple device to ATS.
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13.4 Test Procedures
b. View iAP summary page.
c. Verify Identification Method is IDL.
3. Verify accessory does not claim a lingo or message that is does not use.
a. Consult accessory Product Plan for claimed messages/lingoes.
b. Compare to Summary Page in ATS.
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