Posh MX5 Series User manual

MX5 Series
Magnetic Stripe Card Reader
RFID/SC Reader/Writer
Manual
Revision 1.0
2012/01/27

MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev 1.0
Table!of!Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................2
MX5 Accessories............................................................................................................................................................2
Warranty..........................................................................................................................................................................2
Disclaimer........................................................................................................................................................................2
GENERAL FEATURES....................................................................................................................................3
Technical Specifications..................................................................................................................................................4
Dimensional Views:........................................................................................................................................................8
Connection Views:..........................................................................................................................................................9
MX5-CBL (Add-on Cable for MX5)..............................................................................................................................9
Typical MX5 Device Setup...........................................................................................................................................11
MX5 UTILITY SOFTWARE............................................................................................................................13
System Requirements....................................................................................................................................................13
MX5 Utility Installation................................................................................................................................................13
MX5 Utility General Information.................................................................................................................................14
Definitions of Settings...................................................................................................................................................14
Magnetic Card Reader Settings Panel...........................................................................................................................16
RFID UID Reader Settings Panel.................................................................................................................................17
Smart Card Testing Panel..............................................................................................................................................18
QuickSet Panel..............................................................................................................................................................19
MX Device Firmware Upgrade Panel...........................................................................................................................20
Hardware Mounting......................................................................................................................................................21
Hardware Maintenance.................................................................................................................................................21
Reading / Writing RFID................................................................................................................................................21
Reading / Writing SC Smart IC Cards..........................................................................................................................21
APPENDICES................................................................................................................................................22
HID Software Developer Notes on MagTek Compatible Format:...............................................................................22
Troubleshooting and FAQ.............................................................................................................................................23
Firmware Listing...........................................................................................................................................................25
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev 1.0
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the MX5 Magnetic Swipe Card Reader and RFID/SC Reader/Writer. It is ideal for access
control, time keeping, banking, ID recognition, credit verification and related applications. In fact, wherever a
RFID/SC/Magnetic stripe ID or transaction card is used, one can find a related use for the versatile, user-friendly
MX5 device.
The MX5 is designed to offer a versatile and expandable solution that will attractively complement an existing system
for years to come. The MX5 units are the products of choice for versatility, expandability and productivity.
MX5 Accessories
The accessories content will vary based on the type of device purchased:
1. MX5 Unit.
2. Velcro adhesive strip.
3. Quick Set Default Setup Card. (only with MX53 series).
4. CD ROM: Utility, Firmware, SDK, Manual(s) and Product specifications.
Warranty
All the MX5 products are backed by a two year parts and labour limited warranty. Should you have problems with
your MX5 device please contact the dealer from whom you purchased the product. A ny alteration and/or erasure or
modification of the MX5 will void the warranty.
Disclaimer
The Manufacturer makes no claims or warranties with respect to the contents or accuracy of this publication or the product
it describes, including warranties of fitness or merchantability for a particular purpose. The Manufacturer shall not be liable
for any special, incidental or consequential damages, nor damages due to use or misuse born from Integration into any
mechanical, electrical or computer system. The Manufacturer is not responsible for the accuracy of any device connected to
the MX5. The Manufacturer reserves the right to make any changes to this manual or product(s) without the obligation to
notify any person of such changes. Any alteration and/or erasure or modification of the MX5 will void the warranty.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev 1.0
General Features
The MX5 series of devices communicates with a host computer or other terminal using a USB interface. Unlike any
other reader on the market today, you will not need to stock different models to support USB Serial, Keyboard, HID or
custom applications. Just plug it in, download the desired firmware and your MX5 is ready to meet your needs.
The MX5 series product offering is based on the core of an MX5 Magnetic Card Reader which utilizes an ARM 7 (32
bit processor) CPU. By simply removing the side cover of the MX5 Magnetic card reader, you now can add a variety
of snap-on modules designed to add combination Reading/Writing for RFID or IC Smart Cards. If you do not require
a Magnetic Card Reader, the Compact version – MX5C – is also available for all the MX5 add on modules. For the
RFID power user, we have created our MX5T table top model which supports both Low Frequency 125 kHz and High
Frequency 13.56 MHz cards/tags, all in one Reader. All of our MX5 product line is fully flash upgradeable,
customizable and a wide range of firmware is available, making the MX5 product the most versatile product currently
on the market. The MX5 product is the one and only Card Device you will ever need for many years to come.
MX53 MX5C-RFID/SC MX53-RFID/SC MX5T-RFID
The MX53 products currently support all the ISO, ABA, ANSI, ISO magnetic card standards and the AAMVA and
CADMV drivers license standards. We can also provide support for non-standard magnetic decoding methods and
cut-and-paste of magnetic card data on the fly. Data encryption can also be performed inside the reader and various
data encryption standards are available for data output. Currently Triple DES, Advanced Security Features, Masked
Data is available and AES-128 encryption will also be available soon for your custom application requirements. These
features are specifically designed to meet PCI DSS Requirements.
Custom firmware applications can be provided exclusively upon request. This unique feature built into all our MX5
products will protect your custom firmware and guarantee exclusive hardware to all your clients.
Another exclusive feature only available on the MX53 magnetic card reader or MX53 combination reader is the
QuickSet setup card. This feature is great when deploying large installations or if you just wish your client to have a
default card customized to their application. All your custom parameters and options for the MX53 can be
programmed in a simple swipe of this card. Custom QuickSet setup cards are available from your supplier. This great
little feature will save you technical support time, increase productivity and help improve hardware deployment time.
System Development Kits (SDK) are available for all our MX5 series products. Our kits include a Windows DLL,
Demo software, sample code, code description manual and protocol manual. Contact your MX5 device provider for a
listing and pricing.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Technical Specifications
MX53-USB
Built-in Magnetic Card Decoder Yes
Supported Standard ABA, ANSI, ISO, AAMVA, CADMV
Communications USB port (RS232 – DB9, PS2 KB Wedge using MX5-CBL)
Power 5V via USB port
Current 35 mA
Connectors USB Type A
Cable Length 6 ft; (180 cm); also available in 2 ft ( 60 cm) and 15 ft (450 cm)
Dimensions (LxWxH) 100 x 32 x 32 mm
Total Weight 130 g
Operating Temperature -20 ºC to 55 ºC
Humidity 10% to 90% relative humidity
Quick Set® Factory Default Card Yes – One step default setup card, customizable
Flash Memory Upgrade Yes
Selectable Tracks Yes (Separate Track selection for both ISO and AAMVA)
Selectable Available Tracks 1, 2, 3
Track Swipe Rates 2:125 ips at 75 bpi; 1, 3: 60 ips at 210 bpi
Head Life Over 1,000,000 passes
Programmable Sound On/Off Yes
Programmable Carriage Return Yes
Programmable Inter-character Delay Yes
Programmable SS/ES Selectable
Character
Yes
Parity and LRC Data Checking Built-in, audible and LED, good read and error indicator
Certifications CE, FCC, UL, RoHS
Add-on Modules Smart IC Chip Card, EM RFID, MIFARE RFID options
Supported Operating Systems Mac OS X 10.5+, Win 7, Win 2008 ,Vista, Win 2003, Win 2000, XP, Win CE,
Unix
Warranty 2 years
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
MX53-RFID
Built-in Magnetic Card Decoder Yes
Supported Card Types (module
specific)
EM, TI, AT, MIFARE, ICode
Communications USB port (RS232 – DB9, PS2 KB Wedge using MX5-CBL)
Power 5V via USB port
Current 45 mA to 65 mA
Connectors USB Type A
Cable Length 6 ft; (180 cm); also available in 2 ft ( 60 cm) and 15 ft (450 cm)
Dimensions (LxWxH) 100 x 48 x 35 mm (RFID add-on)
Total Weight 150 g
Operating Temperature -20 ºC to 55 ºC
Humidity 10% to 90% relative humidity
Set-up Utility Yes
Quick Set® Factory Default Card Yes – One step default setup card, customizable
Flash Memory Upgrade Yes
Selectable Tracks Yes (Separate Track selection for both ISO and AAMVA)
Selectable Available Tracks 1, 2, 3
Track Swipe Rates 2:125 ips at 75 bpi; 1, 3: 60 ips at 210 bpi
Head Life Over 1,000,000 passes
Programmable Sound On/Off Yes
Programmable Carriage Return Yes
Programmable Inter-character Delay Yes
Programmable SS/ES Selectable
Character
Yes
Parity and LRC Data Checking Built-in, audible and LED, good read and error indicator
Classifications Supported (module
specific)
ABA, ANSI, ISO, AAMVA, CADMV, ISO14443A, ISO14443B, ISO15693,
ISO7816-(1-4)
Certifications CE, FCC, UL, RoHS
Add-on Modules Smart IC Chip Card
Supported Operating Systems Mac OS X 10.5+, Win 7, Win 2008 ,Vista, Win 2003, Win 2000, XP, Win CE,
Unix
Warranty 2 years
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
MX5C (Compact)
Communications USB port (RS232 – DB9, PS2 KB Wedge using MX5-CBL)
Power 5V via USB port
Current 45 mA to 65 mA
Connectors USB Type A
Cable Length 6 ft; (180 cm); also available in 2 ft ( 60 cm) and 15 ft (450 cm)
Dimensions (LxWxH) 100 x 32 x 35 mm (RFID add-on)
Total Weight 130 g
Operating Temperature -20 ºC to 55 ºC
Humidity 10% to 90% relative humidity
Set-up Utility Yes
Flash Memory Upgrade Yes
Programmable Sound On/Off Yes
Programmable Carriage Return Yes
Programmable Inter-character Delay Yes
Programmable SS/ES Selectable
Character
Yes
IC Cards Supported (MX5C-SC
only)
ISO7816-(1-4) (T=1, T= 0); SLE4418-4428; SLE4432/4442; SLE4436/5536; I2C
memory cards
Classifications Supported (module
specific)
ISO14443A, ISO14443B, ISO15693, MIFARE Classic, DESFire, Ultra
Certifications CE, FCC, UL, RoHS
Supported Operating Systems Mac OS X 10.5+, Win 7, Win 2008 ,Vista, Win 2003, Win 2000, XP, Win CE,
Unix
Warranty 2 years
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
MX5T (Tabletop)
Communications USB port (RS232 – DB9, PS2 KB Wedge using MX5-CBL)
Power 5V via USB port
Current 65 mA to 100 mA
Connectors USB Type A
Cable Length 6 ft; (180 cm); also available in 2 ft ( 60 cm) and 15 ft (450 cm)
Dimensions (LxWxH) 100 x 32 x 32 mm
Total Weight 130 g
Operating Temperature -20 ºC to 55 ºC
Humidity 10% to 90% relative humidity
Set-up Utility Yes
Frequency (RFID) LF: 125 kHz; HF: 13.56 MHz
Selectable Tracks Yes (Separate Track selection for both ISO and AAMVA)
Programmable Sound On/Off Yes
Programmable Carriage Return Yes
Programmable Inter-character Delay Yes
Programmable SS/ES Selectable
Character
Yes
Data Checking Built-in, audible and LED, good read and error indicator
Classifications Supported ISO14443A, ISO14443B, ISO15693, EM, TK, AT
Certifications CE, FCC, UL, RoHS
Add-on Modules Smart IC Chip Card, EM RFID, MIFARE RFID options
Supported Operating Systems Mac OS X 10.5+, Win 7, Win 2008 ,Vista, Win 2003, Win 2000, XP, Win CE,
Unix
Warranty 2 years
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Dimensional Views:
MX53-USB MX53-COMBO-USB
B
MX5C-USB MX5T-USB
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Connection Views:
MX5-CBL (Add-on Cable for MX5)
Typical connection of the MX5-CBL-KB to a MX53-USB reader
Note that the device connected could be an MX53 (as shown above), MX5C or MX5T device. All devices
connected to this keyboard wedge cable (MX5-CBL-KB) must have keyboard firmware installed using the
latest version of the Utility (2.8.0) or higher. This cable is designed to utilize the existing keyboard port on your
Windows PC (Mini DIN6 or DIN5) concurrently with your existing keyboard. The card information is
transferred to your computer as if someone had manually typed the information. In order to change any settings
of the device, you must connect the device directly to a USB port and use the Utility. Power is provided by the
keyboard port.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Typical connection of the MX5-CBL-RS to a MX53-USB reader
When utilizing the MX5-CBL-RS cable, the device must have the latest VRS firmware from the Utility
(version 2.8.0 or higher). Power is provided by a power adapter. In order to change any settings of the device,
you must connect the device directly to a USB port and use the Utility.
MX5-CBL-KB MX5-CBL-RS
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Typical MX5 Device Setup
1. Power on your computer system.
2. Insert the MX-5 Utility CD into your system and install the MX5 Setup Utility.
3. Connect the USB cable of the MX5 to a free USB port .(See Connection Views)
4. Mac OS X does not require special drivers to use MX5 devices – it recognizes the keyboard and VRS
output formats directly and applications can easily interface to the HID report output. Note: if this is the first
time that a keyboard output MX5 is attached, you will see the following display –
Simply close this window, and the Macintosh will recognize the MX5 as an ANSI keyboard. This dialog is
presented so that the operating system can identify where specific keys are, which is not required for the
MX5.
5. You are now ready to configure your MX5 device using the MX5 Device Utility. Note that the MX53 magnetic
card reader or combination reader can be configured using the QuickSet setup card. All your custom parameters
can be programmed with a simple swipe of this card through the MX53 reader. Custom QuickSet setup card
settings are available from your supplier. This feature is great when deploying large installations or if you just
wish your client to have a default card customized to their application. This will save you technical support time
and increase productivity.
6. If you need to upgrade or change the device characteristics, for example USB serial or HID or custom USB, you
will need to use the MX5 Device Utility to enable the Flash upgrade function of the device. See the MX5 Device
utility software section for more details.
7. Once you have placed the MX5 Device in upgrade mode, you can select from an extensive list of various
firmware upgrades known to the Utility or available from your supplier. Select the upgrade based on the
device type you are using, since. each device has specific firmware upgrades; see the Firmware list section
for descriptions of the available firmware. Do not worry should you install the wrong firmware, the Utility
and MX5 hardware is designed to prevent any damage or lock-up of your device. The Flash function of the
MX5 Device is designed to be upgraded as many times as desired to help keep your hardware up to date.
All the MX5 Device settings and options are also saved into the MX5 Device Flash memory. This allows
you to move the hardware to any computer without losing your custom settings.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
8. Note that when the MX5 Device is upgraded, the MX5 Device will automatically restart. You do not need to
unplug the Device from the USB port to restart the Device. Mac OS X will recognize the MX5, regardless
of which USB port it is plugged into. Special care should be noted when using VRS (USB Virtual Serial
Port), since the port name may change if multiple serial devices are installed. Refer to the VRS section for
hints on configuring your MX5 Device on all your computer’s USB ports.
9. System Development Kit (SDK) Utility located on the CD is designed for software developers who wish to
integrate the MX5 Device to their own application using our Windows DLL and sample code. The SDK
Utility is available to demonstrate proper operation of the device using the Windows DLL with the
hardware.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
MX5 Utility Software
Every MX5 comes with a utility setup and test program that is included on the CD. This program is designed to
configure selectable functions for each MX5 Device and to demonstrate the functionality of various MX5
devices. The MX5 Utility can also be used to demonstrate Smart Card reading and writing functions using the
SmartCard Module.
System Requirements
1. iMac, Macbook and any other Intel based Apple computer.
2. The Macintosh OS X operating system version 10.5 or higher.
3. A free USB port.
MX5 Utility Installation
Use the following steps below in order to install the MX5 Utility program.
A. Open the MX5 Utility package (MX5 Utility.pkg) on the CD or download the Utility from:
http://www.poshmfg.ca/GeneralInfoFiles/Downloads_MX5.html.
B. Follow the installation instructions; the application will be installed in your Applications folder.
C. Connect your MX5 Device to a free USB port.
D. Select the application MX5 Utility to start the program.
E. The MX5 Utility program will auto-detect any attached MX5 Devices.
F. If NO device appears in the information dialog box, check to see that the Device is plugged into the
USB port and the power LED of the MX5 device is ON. exit the Utility and Repeat from step C.
G. If you are still unable to see the device in the dialog box, exit the Utility and go to the
Troubleshooting Section.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
MX5 Utility General Information
The MX5 Utility detects the hardware configuration and will automatically read the MX5 Device settings and
display the settings in its appropriate dialog boxes. Tabs which are not related to this firmware version will be
grayed out and disabled.
Should you have more than one MX5 Device connected to your system, you can select a different MX5 Device
by using your mouse and selecting from the pull down list in the Device Info panel. The Device Name and
device address will be listed in the pull down list. After selecting a device, the screen will automatically update
and the tabs and fields will be updated with the selected device settings. The Device Info will display the
internal device serial number, the device name and the firmware version installed in the device selected.
You may choose to enable or disable any available options which are not grayed out.
Definitions of Settings
General Settings
“Sound On” – Selecting this option will enable sound. A single beep is heard when a good read is made, two beeps
are heard when an error is detected in a selected track. No data is sent out by the device when an error is detected on
any of the selected tracks.
“Upper Case” – By selecting this option all the card data will be output in “CAPITAL” letters. This option overrides
the Caps Lock status. By unchecking this option, all the data output will be in “lower case” only and this mode is not
affected by the Caps Lock status.
“Character Delay (KB/RS)” – This option is used to add a delay between each character sent out by the device.
This setting only affects keyboard or virtual serial output format. A delay may be needed if your computer is busy or
slow at accepting data entry. Increase the delay if data loss is noticed when reading your data card.
“Function Selector” – You can select the active modules (functions) for the device. Multiple functions only apply to
devices which have more than one Module attached. (E.g.: Magnetic card / RFID / Chip Card).
“Enable (KB/RS) Addon Cable” – By selecting this option, the special add-on cable for keyboard or virtual serial
output is enabled. Most Macintosh computers do not have built-in serial ports and computers on which the MX5
Utility runs must have at least one USB port, there is no need to enable this option. If the device is being set up for
use with an older Windows computer, this option may be relevant.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Function Buttons
– All changes will be saved to the MX-Device once you have selected this option. All saved settings are
automatically updated and stored inside the MX-Device flash memory.
– Your options settings will be updated to reflect the current device settings when you click on this button.
– Selecting this option will result in swipe data (from a device set for HID report or virtual serial output) being
displayed as a block of hexadecimal data, rather than as a stream of characters.
– The data area above this button will be cleared.
– This button will bring up the context-sensitive help.
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MX5 Manual for Mac OS X Rev. 1.0
Magnetic Card Reader Settings Panel
“ISO Track Selectors” – Select which Credit Card or Data Card tracks you would like the reader to read. See your
application notes to determine which track should be selected.
“AAMVA Track Selectors” – Select which Driver License data tracks you would like the reader to read. This option
only applies to driver licenses and has no effect on ISO cards.
“Track SS Selectors” – Enable or disable the Track Start Character (Start Sentinel). You can also select your own
start sentinel by using the pull down list associated with each checkbox. Use the default settings unless notified
otherwise by your application vendor. Each track can have a unique start sentinel.
“Track 123 ES” – Enable or disable the Track End Character (End Sentinel). You can also select your own end
sentinel by using the pull down list associated with the checkbox. Use the default settings unless otherwise notified
by your application vendor. All the tracks share the same end sentinel.
“Track Send CR Selectors” – Select this option to send a Carriage Return “CR” at the end of the selected track of
magnetic strip data.
“Track Output Order” – This option allows you to change the output order of the selected tracks. The default order
is (1-2-3).
“Send Any Valid Selected Tracks” – Enabling this option will tell the device to send out ANY VALID data tracks
“that have been selected” only (Track Error “OFF”). Not selecting this option will tell the reader to only send ALL
the selected tracks only if they are ALL valid. Any track data error on any selected tracks will flash the LED twice
and sound two beeps. NO DATA will be sent out. This option is handy for trouble shooting.
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RFID UID Reader Settings Panel
“RFID SS” – Enable or disable the RFID Start Character (Start Sentinel). You can also select your own start sentinel
by using the pull down list associated with the checkbox. Use the default settings unless notified otherwise by your
application vendor.
“RFID ES” – Enable or disable the RFID End Character (End Sentinel). You can also select your own end sentinel
by using the pull down list associated with the checkbox. Use the default settings unless otherwise notified by your
application vendor.
“Send CR” – Select this option to end a Carriage Return “CR” at the end of the UID read from the RFID data card.
“Reverse UID” – Select this option to reverse the order of the digits of the UID being sent.
UID Output Options
“Decimal/Hex” – The UID can optionally be output to in either Decimal or Hexadecimal format.
“Padding” – Sending the UID in Decimal output without any padding of zero characters is the default. Optionally,
the UID can be padded with leading zeroes to a length of 10 characters or to a maximum length of 17 characters (13
characters for EM Cards).
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Smart Card Testing Panel
This panel is for testing the Contact Smart Card Module using an SLE memory card. The SLE 4428 is a 1 kilobyte
memory card which is a recommended or equivalent memory card from SLE. The Smart Card utility is very basic
and only supports simple commands for the purpose of TESTING the device only.
“Card Reset” – This option is the first command which needs to be selected once the SLE card has been inserted
into the contact card slot. Press the card down firmly until the LED changes color. If the card contacts are inserted
the wrong way, the Device will sound two short Beeps to indicate an ERROR and the LED will not change color.
Remove the SLE card and rotate the card so that the gold contacts on the card face the opposite direction and then
insert the card by pressing the card down firmly. Once the card is inserted properly the LED will change color and
other options will be un-grayed.
“Login” – Once you have entered the two byte HEX password (Default is FF FF) press the Login button. If the
password is successful, the “Save” and “Data Write” options will be un-grayed. If the wrong password is entered
then an error panel will pop up.
“Save” – Once this option is un-grayed, the card is unlocked and the value of the “Password (2 Hex)” can be written
to the card, changing to the new password. Removing the card performs an Auto Log out. The new password will
need to be entered in order to Login once the card is inserted back into the SmartCard module.
“Data Read” and “Data Write” – Before pressing these options, you should select the Start Address and the Data
Length. The start address is two hex bytes (“FF FF”) and should not exceed the memory size of the memory card. A
1 KB card has an address range off “00 00” to “04 00” hex. A data length of “40” hex will display 64 bytes of data.
Using the default values is recommended for first time users. The card data will be displayed in HEX on the screen,
with each data byte composed of two hex characters. You can edit the value of each character by typing over the data
bytes displayed. An error screen will pop up should the data length or data format be invalid once the Data Write
option is pressed. The data written to the card is not verified by this command and a Data Read should be performed
to confirm that the data was written to the card properly. If you did not login then the Data Write button will be
grayed out and you will be unable to save any data to the card. You can read data from the card without logging in.
“Clear” This option will clear all the data in the data window. This will not affect or change the information on the
memory card. If you have not saved the data before pressing Clear, changes to the data will be lost.
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QuickSet Panel
This panel supports saving and restoring configurations in external files, so that multiple devices can be set to
the same configuration without the use of custom QuickSet magnetic cards.
“Set Device To Factory Defaults” – Restore the device to its factory default settings. This will also refresh all the
fields in the Utility to match the new settings.
“Get Settings From File” – Read the configuration settings from an external file, which you select use the standard
Open dialog.
“Save Settings To File” – Write the configuration settings to an external file, which can be placed anywhere on your
system, using the standard Save dialog. It is recommended that you create a directory specifically to hold the
configurations. Note that the default name for the settings file is formed from the serial number of the device.
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