The better choice is Application Programming Interfaces (API’s) that are part of readily available in Software Development Kits (SDKs) that support specific manufacturer’s card families. Check these kits for a variety of reader manufacturers supported. M.O.S. T.® and Smart Toolz® from CardLogix are good examples of a well rounded Smart Card SDK.
Terminals
Unlike readers, terminals are more similar to a self contained PC, with most featuring operating systems and development tools. Terminals are often specific to the use case such as Security, Health Informatics or POS. Connectivity in the terminals is typically via Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP-IP) or GSM network. Many terminals today feature regular OS’s making deployment easier such as Datastrip with windows CE or Exadigm with Linux.