desktest.net
guide

Signature Pad Test Guide

A reference for the desktest.net Signature Pad Test. Explains what the tool checks against Topaz SigWeb, how to read the verdict, and what to do about each failure. Read this before you spend an hour on the phone with a teller whose pad will not draw.

Open the Signature Pad Test ->

What does the Signature Pad Test check?

The tool drives a live install of Topaz SigWeb, the replacement for the older SigPlus ActiveX control. SigWeb runs as a Windows service on https://127.0.0.1:47290 and exposes an HTTPS API that pages call through Topaz's SigWebTablet.js library. Local HTTPS, not a plugin: works on Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

SigWeb handles the full Topaz lineup: the non-LCD SignatureGem 1x5 T-S460 (the common front-desk pad), the LCD T-L(BK)460/462/750/755/766, plus SE-series USB (HSB) pads and older B/BSB/BBSB serial pads. The three steps run in order; each must pass before the next:

  1. SigWeb service is reachable. Calls GetSigWebVersion() and confirms a version string. Also reads SSL cert expiry via GetDaysUntilCertificateExpires().
  2. Pad is connected. Runs the Topaz hardware handshake: SetTabletComTest(true), SetTabletState(1, ctx, 50), then reads GetTabletState(). A return of 1 means a Topaz pad answered on USB, HSB, or COM. On LCD models, TabletModelNumber() and TabletSerialNumber() name the exact pad.
  3. Signature can be captured. Activates the pad, you sign, then the signature comes back as a PNG via GetSigImageB64(). Renders in the browser. Nothing is uploaded.

When should I run this?

Reading the results

Each step renders a row with a status badge: Pending (grey), Running (yellow), Pass (green), or Fail (red). On fail, the row expands and shows the fix block: what SigWeb returned plus a numbered checklist of things to try.

The verdict panel at the top summarises the run with a likely cause and a recommended next step. It is opinionated: it reflects the common real-world reason for each failure, not every theoretical one. If the verdict is wrong for your case, the expanded fix block under the failing row covers the rest.

Copy Diagnostic Report copies a plain-text report to the clipboard: SigWeb version, browser user-agent, per-step results, error messages, detected model and serial, timestamp. Paste it into a ticket or email.

Common failures and fixes

The tool produces a specific named diagnosis for every failure path. Each diagnosis maps to a fix. Here they are, in the order the steps run.

library-missing: SigWebTablet.js failed to load

The page bundles SigWebTablet.js v1.0.4.0 from the same origin. If GetSigWebVersion is missing after load, the script did not run. Almost always a corporate content filter, a script-blocking extension (uBlock in aggressive mode, NoScript), or a proxy that mangled the response.

  1. Reload with Ctrl+F5.
  2. Open DevTools (F12) and check the Network tab for SigWebTablet.js. Should be HTTP 200 with the JavaScript MIME type.
  3. Disable extensions for this site.
  4. If on a corporate proxy, ask whoever runs it to allow desktest.net through unmodified.

service-unreachable: SigWeb service did not answer

The client library loaded, but GetSigWebVersion() threw or returned empty. Nothing answered at https://localhost:47290. Three causes in order of frequency:

  1. SigWeb is not running. Check the Windows system tray. If absent, launch from Start, or install from topazsystems.com/sigweb.html. In admin PowerShell: Get-Service SigWeb, then Start-Service SigWeb.
  2. Firefox does not trust the Topaz CA. SigWeb's cert is signed by a Topaz private CA. The installer drops it into the Windows cert store, which Chrome and Edge read from. Firefox uses its own store. Import the cert: Settings, Privacy & Security, Certificates, View Certificates, Authorities, Import. The cert ships in the SigWeb install directory. Tick "Trust this CA to identify websites" and restart Firefox.
  3. SigWeb is not installed. SigWeb is a separate download from the pad driver bundle. Install from the link above.

Quick check: https://localhost:47290/SigWeb/SigWebVersion in a new tab. A version string means the service is up and the cert is trusted. A cert warning means the CA trust step is missing.

no-pad: SigWeb is up but no pad is connected

SigWeb answered, but SetTabletComTest came back with GetTabletState() === 0. Almost always a USB or cabling issue:

  1. Plug the pad directly into the workstation, not a passive USB hub. Topaz pads draw bus power; cheap hubs starve them.
  2. Unplug and replug. Listen for the device-connected chime.
  3. Check Device Manager for a yellow exclamation under "Human Interface Devices" or "Universal Serial Bus controllers."
  4. For B / BSB / BBSB serial pads, confirm the COM port in SigWeb settings matches what Windows assigned. BSB is usually COM9.
  5. If Topaz's own SigWebDemo or DemoOCX cannot see the pad either, it is the pad or driver, not the browser. Swap with a known-good pad.

user-cancel: capture was cancelled

The user clicked Cancel before signing. Not a failure of the pad; a failure of the workflow. Run again and sign through to Done.

empty-signature: zero strokes captured

SigWeb was activated, the user clicked Done, but NumberOfTabletPoints() returned 0. Either nothing was drawn, or the pad disconnected mid-capture.

Note for non-LCD pads (T-S460, T-LBK460): these have no display. The user cannot see ink on the pad surface. The browser canvas IS the visual feedback. If the user expects ink on the pad, they may pen-tap once and assume nothing is happening. Tell them to draw a full signature while watching the screen, then click Done.

image-failed: strokes captured, image generation failed

Points were captured (NumberOfTabletPoints() > 0) but GetSigImageB64() returned an empty or invalid result. Rare. Usually a SigWeb version mismatch with the pad firmware. Update SigWeb to the current release from topazsystems.com/sigweb.html and rerun.

For IT admins

SigWeb has no origin whitelist. Unlike FIS WebScan, Topaz does not require you to register domains that may call the service. Any origin can hit SigWeb on loopback. Deployment: install SigWeb, plug in the pad, done. No per-app config when you onboard a new vendor.

For bulk rollout, the SigWeb MSI is available from Topaz on request and supports silent flags (msiexec /i SigWeb.msi /qn /norestart). Push via Intune, SCCM, PDQ, or Ansible. The MSI installs the service, the Topaz CA cert in the Windows trust store, and SigPlus.ini.

Firefox is the rough edge: it does not read the Windows cert store, so the Topaz CA has to land in Firefox's own store. No GPO automation for Firefox cert trust. Options: policies.json with Certificates.Install (Firefox 64+); preconfigure a profile and clone via imaging; or standardise on Chrome or Edge. Most banks pick the last.

SigWeb is not for remote-session environments. Citrix XenApp and RDS do not give SigWeb inside the session access to USB on the local thin client. For Citrix, use Topaz's Citrix SDK.

Behind the scenes

SigWeb binds to 127.0.0.1:47290 over HTTPS (and 47289 over plain HTTP; both ports are bound). The cert is signed by a Topaz private CA with subject tablet.sigwebtablet.com. The installer adds that hostname to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts as an alias for 127.0.0.1. The page hits https://tablet.sigwebtablet.com:47290, which resolves locally, and the cert subject matches.

The diagnostic bundles SigWebTablet.js v1.0.4.0 unmodified. Topaz publishes the canonical file at http://www.sigplusweb.com/SigWebTablet.js and asks integrators not to alter it. SHA-256 at /docs/sigwebtablet-sha256.txt for verification.

On page dismissal the tool calls Reset() per Topaz's Appendix B guidance. Reset() is asynchronous; the older synchronous approach broke with Chrome 80's removal of sync XHR in unload handlers.

No signature, biometric, or image data leaves the browser. SigWeb calls go to loopback; the captured PNG renders with a data: URI.