Is there a way to communicate with USB devices from browser?
Google chrome offers a javascript USB device interface but this is chrome specific.
https://developer.chrome.com/apps/usb
Not sure what you would do on other browsers.
If your CC and barcode scanners work as HID devices (basically, keyboard emulation), yes you can, and I have seen it done. If they're more complicated than that, it depends, the system is going to require drivers for the device and it is then OS dependant. But, for example, there are smartcard readers that will hook the card into the system's certificate framework for authentication.
You're not going to be able to use a chipped credit card with that sort of reader, however, since the protocol for those requires bidirectional communication with the card. I think there may be a way to talk to a proper point of sale CC terminal over USB, but that will most likely require drivers.
There are two choices
- Use a browser plugin runtime like (Silverlight or Flash) that talks to Windows HID.
or 2. Use a local HTTP server and have JQuery post backs to the local HTTP Server which inturns talks to HID.