POSMicro ID Tech EasyMag RS-232 User manual
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EASYMAG
Magnetic Stripe Reader
USB/RS-232 Interface
Quickstart Manual
TM
EASYMAG
Magnetic Stripe Reader
USB/RS-232 Interface
Quickstart Manual
TM
ID TECH
10721 Walker Street
Cypress, California 90630
(714) 761-6368
www.id-tech.net
80003510-001 Rev. A R02/05 #468
ID TECH
10721 Walker Street
Cypress, California 90630
(714) 761-6368
www.id-tech.net
80003510-001 Rev. A R02/05 #468
9
9
DATA EDITING
The EasyMag has a data editing feature incorporated into its firmware.
This feature allows the data read from the magnetic stripe to be sent to
the host in the exact format expected by the host software, eliminating
the need for modifications to the application software.
Full data editing instructions are contained in the ID TECH EasyMag
RS-232 User’s Manual (P/N: 80003506-001). In addition, USB/RS-232
drivers (P/N: 80035802-002) are necessary. The manual and the drivers
are available without cost on the ID TECH website (www.id-tech.net),
or by returning the coupon below:
ID TECH
10721 Walker Street
Cypress, CA 90630
Please send a copy of the following:
EasyMag RS-232 User’s Manual (P/N: 80003506-001)
EasyMag USB/RS-232 Drivers (P/N: 80035802-002)
Name:
Company:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
There is no charge for a single copy of each. There will be a charge of
$10.00 for each additional set.
DATA EDITING
The EasyMag has a data editing feature incorporated into its firmware.
This feature allows the data read from the magnetic stripe to be sent to
the host in the exact format expected by the host software, eliminating
the need for modifications to the application software.
Full data editing instructions are contained in the ID TECH EasyMag
RS-232 User’s Manual (P/N: 80003506-001). In addition, USB/RS-232
drivers (P/N: 80035802-002) are necessary. The manual and the drivers
are available without cost on the ID TECH website (www.id-tech.net),
or by returning the coupon below:
ID TECH
10721 Walker Street
Cypress, CA 90630
Please send a copy of the following:
EasyMag RS-232 User’s Manual (P/N: 80003506-001)
EasyMag USB/RS-232 Drivers (P/N: 80035802-002)
Name:
Company:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
There is no charge for a single copy of each. There will be a charge of
$10.00 for each additional set.
18
18
TROUBLESHOOTING
The EasyMag reader is easy to install and use. Most problems
encountered can be attributed to:
• Incorrect Interface Cabling
• Incorrect Configuration Setup
• Bad Magnetic Stripe Quality
GENERAL PROCEDURES
The troubleshooting process can be simplified by following
these simple diagnostic procedures.
1. The unit should emit one long beep when power is first ap-
plied. If it does not, then the unit is not receiving power.
2. Once it has been confirmed that the unit is correctly powered,
try swiping a credit card. The LED will go off while decoding,
then light green to indicate a “good read,” or red to indicate a
“bad read.”
3. Once the unit has indicated a “good read,” then proceed to
check the interface cabling connections.
TROUBLESHOOTING
The EasyMag reader is easy to install and use. Most problems
encountered can be attributed to:
• Incorrect Interface Cabling
• Incorrect Configuration Setup
• Bad Magnetic Stripe Quality
GENERAL PROCEDURES
The troubleshooting process can be simplified by following
these simple diagnostic procedures.
1. The unit should emit one long beep when power is first ap-
plied. If it does not, then the unit is not receiving power.
2. Once it has been confirmed that the unit is correctly powered,
try swiping a credit card. The LED will go off while decoding,
then light green to indicate a “good read,” or red to indicate a
“bad read.”
3. Once the unit has indicated a “good read,” then proceed to
check the interface cabling connections.
AGENCY APPROVED
Specifications for subpart B of part 15 of FCC rule for a Class A
computing device.
LIMITED WARRANTY
ID TECH warrants this product to be in good working order for
a period of one year from the date of purchase. If this product
is not in good working order as warranted above, or should this
product fail to be in good working order at any time during the
warranty period, repair or replacement shall be provided by ID
TECH.
This warranty does not cover incidental or consequential damag-
es incurred by consumer misuse, or modification of said product.
For limited warranty service during the warranty period, please
contact ID TECH to obtain an RMA number and instructions for
returning the product.
©2005 International Technologies & Systems Corporation. The
information contained herein is provided to the user as a conve-
nience. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, ID
TECH is not responsible for damages that might occur because
of errors or omissions, including any loss of profit or other
commercial damage. The specifications described herein were
current at the time of publication, but are subject to change at
any time without prior notice.
ID TECH is a registered trademark of International Technologies
& Systems Corporation. MiniMag and Value through Innova-
tion are trademarks of International Technologies & Systems
Corporation.
AGENCY APPROVED
Specifications for subpart B of part 15 of FCC rule for a Class A
computing device.
LIMITED WARRANTY
ID TECH warrants this product to be in good working order for
a period of one year from the date of purchase. If this product
is not in good working order as warranted above, or should this
product fail to be in good working order at any time during the
warranty period, repair or replacement shall be provided by ID
TECH.
This warranty does not cover incidental or consequential damag-
es incurred by consumer misuse, or modification of said product.
For limited warranty service during the warranty period, please
contact ID TECH to obtain an RMA number and instructions for
returning the product.
©2005 International Technologies & Systems Corporation. The
information contained herein is provided to the user as a conve-
nience. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, ID
TECH is not responsible for damages that might occur because
of errors or omissions, including any loss of profit or other
commercial damage. The specifications described herein were
current at the time of publication, but are subject to change at
any time without prior notice.
ID TECH is a registered trademark of International Technologies
& Systems Corporation. MiniMag and Value through Innova-
tion are trademarks of International Technologies & Systems
Corporation.
72
72
SPECIFICATIONS
Power Requirements: Low-power CMOS power supplied by the host
computer via the USB port.
Operating Current: About 70mA for decoded magnetic stripe (three
tracks).
Operating
Temperature: 32° F to 131° F (0° C to 55° C).
Storage Temperature: -22° F to 158° F (-30° C to 70° C).
Relative Humidity: Maximum 95% non-condensing.
Magnetic Head Life: 1,000,000 passes minimum.
Rail and Cover Life: 1,000,000 passes minimum.
Magnetic Stripe
Recording Method: Two-frequency coherent phase (F2F) compatible
with ISO 7811, ANSI, AAMVA, and California
DMV.
Maximum Number
of Tracks: 3 tracks.
Read Rate: Less than one error in 100,000 bits on cards
conforming to ISO 7811 1-5 (not induced by
operator error).
Swipe Speed: 3 to 60 inches per second, bidirectional.
Card Thickness: .01 to .045 inches.
Slot Width: .050 inches.
Dimensions: Length: 5.22 inches (133mm). Width: 1.25 inches
(32mm). Height: 1.6 inches (41mm).
Weight: 8 oz.
Cable Length: 6-foot straight cable.
where: SS1(start sentinel track 1) = %
SS2(start sentinel track 2) = ;
SS3(start sentinel track 3) = ; for ISO, ! for CDL, %
for AAMVA
ES(end sentinel all tracks) = ?
CR = Carriage Return
Baud Rate: 9600 bps
Data Bits: 8
Parity: None
Handshaking: x-On/x-Off
Stop Bits(s): 1
x-On: DC1 (Hex 11)
x-Off: DC3 (Hex 13)
DEFINITIONS
Start or End Sentinel: Characters in encoding format which come before the
first data character (start) and after the last data character (end), indicating the
beginning and end, respectively, of data.
Track Separator: A designated character which separates data tracks.
Terminator: A designated character which comes at the end of the last track of
data, to separate card reads.
LRC: Check character, following end sentinel.
CDL: Old California Drivers License format.
*Note: The <CR> commands shown above for Tracks 1 & 2 and Tracks 2 &
3 denote the default character for this position, the Track Separator position.
The <CRLF> command shown for Track 3 denotes the default character for
this position, the Terminator position.
where: SS1(start sentinel track 1) = %
SS2(start sentinel track 2) = ;
SS3(start sentinel track 3) = ; for ISO, ! for CDL, %
for AAMVA
ES(end sentinel all tracks) = ?
CR = Carriage Return
Baud Rate: 9600 bps
Data Bits: 8
Parity: None
Handshaking: x-On/x-Off
Stop Bits(s): 1
x-On: DC1 (Hex 11)
x-Off: DC3 (Hex 13)
DEFINITIONS
Start or End Sentinel: Characters in encoding format which come before the
first data character (start) and after the last data character (end), indicating the
beginning and end, respectively, of data.
Track Separator: A designated character which separates data tracks.
Terminator: A designated character which comes at the end of the last track of
data, to separate card reads.
LRC: Check character, following end sentinel.
CDL: Old California Drivers License format.
*Note: The <CR> commands shown above for Tracks 1 & 2 and Tracks 2 &
3 denote the default character for this position, the Track Separator position.
The <CRLF> command shown for Track 3 denotes the default character for
this position, the Terminator position.
SPECIFICATIONS
Power Requirements: Low-power CMOS power supplied by the host
computer via the USB port.
Operating Current: About 70mA for decoded magnetic stripe (three
tracks).
Operating
Temperature: 32° F to 131° F (0° C to 55° C).
Storage Temperature: -22° F to 158° F (-30° C to 70° C).
Relative Humidity: Maximum 95% non-condensing.
Magnetic Head Life: 1,000,000 passes minimum.
Rail and Cover Life: 1,000,000 passes minimum.
Magnetic Stripe
Recording Method: Two-frequency coherent phase (F2F) compatible
with ISO 7811, ANSI, AAMVA, and California
DMV.
Maximum Number
of Tracks: 3 tracks.
Read Rate: Less than one error in 100,000 bits on cards
conforming to ISO 7811 1-5 (not induced by
operator error).
Swipe Speed: 3 to 60 inches per second, bidirectional.
Card Thickness: .01 to .045 inches.
Slot Width: .050 inches.
Dimensions: Length: 5.22 inches (133mm). Width: 1.25 inches
(32mm). Height: 1.6 inches (41mm).
Weight: 8 oz.
Cable Length: 6-foot straight cable.
36
36
DESCRIPTION
The EasyMag™ compact magnetic stripe reader can read 1, 2,
or 3 tracks of magnetic stripe information. In addition, it has full
data editing capabilities.
This unit is fully programmable via keystroke commands.
USB/RS-232 drivers are available from ID TECH website. The
data can be formatted with preamble/postamble and terminator
characters to match the format expected by the host.
Power, when the reader is connected via the USB input port, is
obtained from the host. No separate power supply is required.
OPERATION
The EasyMag magnetic stripe reader is easy to operate. Just fol-
low these simple steps:
1. Make sure the reader is properly cabled and is receiving suffi-
cient power. (See Troubleshooting if there is a cabling or power
problem.)
2. To read a card, slide the card, in either direction, through the
reader slot, with the magnetic stripe facing the magnetic head
(LED side).
3. While swiping the card through the reader, the LED will go
off.
4. Once the entire magnetic stripe has been read, the LED
indicator will light up as green to signal a “good read.” If a good
read is not obtained, the LED indicator will light up as red.
5. A beep will also sound to indicate a good read on each track.
If all three tracks have been read successfully, the reader will
beep three times.
DEFAULT SETTINGS TABLE
The EasyMag reader is shipped from the factory with the fol-
lowing default settings already programmed:
Magnetic Track Basic Data Format
Track 1: <SS1><T1 Data><ES><CR>*
Track 2: <SS2><T2 Data><ES><CR>*
Track 3: <SS3><T3 Data><ES><CRLF>*
OPERATION
The EasyMag magnetic stripe reader is easy to operate. Just fol-
low these simple steps:
1. Make sure the reader is properly cabled and is receiving suffi-
cient power. (See Troubleshooting if there is a cabling or power
problem.)
2. To read a card, slide the card, in either direction, through the
reader slot, with the magnetic stripe facing the magnetic head
(LED side).
3. While swiping the card through the reader, the LED will go
off.
4. Once the entire magnetic stripe has been read, the LED
indicator will light up as green to signal a “good read.” If a good
read is not obtained, the LED indicator will light up as red.
5. A beep will also sound to indicate a good read on each track.
If all three tracks have been read successfully, the reader will
beep three times.
DEFAULT SETTINGS TABLE
The EasyMag reader is shipped from the factory with the fol-
lowing default settings already programmed:
Magnetic Track Basic Data Format
Track 1: <SS1><T1 Data><ES><CR>*
Track 2: <SS2><T2 Data><ES><CR>*
Track 3: <SS3><T3 Data><ES><CRLF>*
DESCRIPTION
The EasyMag™ compact magnetic stripe reader can read 1, 2,
or 3 tracks of magnetic stripe information. In addition, it has full
data editing capabilities.
This unit is fully programmable via keystroke commands.
USB/RS-232 drivers are available from ID TECH website. The
data can be formatted with preamble/postamble and terminator
characters to match the format expected by the host.
Power, when the reader is connected via the USB input port, is
obtained from the host. No separate power supply is required.
54
54
HOST CONNECTIONS
The EasyMag reader is connected to the host computer via a
USB input port. It converts serial RS-232 output to USB (RS-
232 buffer) input. It is fully functional on a USB-equipped IBM
PC or PC-compatible running Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP, or
on an Apple computer running Mac OS 8.1 and above.
Since USB devices are designed to be “plug and play,” the host
will search for a driver when the reader is first connected. If one
cannot be found, it will prompt you to make a selection. The
wizard will require that you install two drivers; both are avail-
able from the ID TECH website at www.id-tech.net.
Go to START → SETTINGS → CONTROL PANEL →
SYSTEM → DEVICE MANAGER → PORTS (COM & LPT).
There should be one item: USB SERIAL PORT (COMX). The
“X” can be a number between 1 and 127. You may change the
port to a number your software can support (like COM3) by
highlighting USB SERIAL PORT (COMX) and clicking on
PROPERTIES. Click on PORT SETTINGS, then ADVANCED,
then COM PORT NUMBER and use the down arrow to scroll
to the number you desire. Close out by clicking OK in all the
windows.
The two ID TECH drivers will appear to the system as an extra
Virtual Com Port. Application software accesses the USB device
in the same way it would access a standard Windows Com Port,
using the Windows VCOMM API calls or by using a Com Port
Library. Old DOS-based applications might need to be changed
in order to access the Virtual Com Port.
Open HyperTerminal or any similar communications program.
(Remember to have the properties set to the proper COM PORT
NUMBER and all the communication parameters set to match
those of the reader.) Input data will display on the HyperTermi-
nal screen, and output data will be sent to the reader.
CONFIGURATION
The EasyMag can be configured to your application. Configura-
tion settings enable the reader to work with the host system.
Once programmed, these configuration settings are stored in the
reader’s non-volatile memory (so they will not be affected by the
cycling of power).
The EasyMag is shipped from the factory with the default set-
tings already programmed. For a table of default settings, see
the Default Settings Table. Instructions necessary to program
the unit with custom settings are contained in the ID TECH
EasyMag RS-232 User’s Manual (P/N: 80003506-001). This
manual is available via the company’s Internet website.
Note: If you want to send setup commands to the EasyMag, you must
make sure the communication parameters are always 9600, None, 8, 1.
Before you make any settings, or try to get data to the host, check the
connection cable, port, power and communication parameters.
HOST CONNECTIONS
The EasyMag reader is connected to the host computer via a
USB input port. It converts serial RS-232 output to USB (RS-
232 buffer) input. It is fully functional on a USB-equipped IBM
PC or PC-compatible running Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP, or
on an Apple computer running Mac OS 8.1 and above.
Since USB devices are designed to be “plug and play,” the host
will search for a driver when the reader is first connected. If one
cannot be found, it will prompt you to make a selection. The
wizard will require that you install two drivers; both are avail-
able from the ID TECH website at www.id-tech.net.
Go to START → SETTINGS → CONTROL PANEL →
SYSTEM → DEVICE MANAGER → PORTS (COM & LPT).
There should be one item: USB SERIAL PORT (COMX). The
“X” can be a number between 1 and 127. You may change the
port to a number your software can support (like COM3) by
highlighting USB SERIAL PORT (COMX) and clicking on
PROPERTIES. Click on PORT SETTINGS, then ADVANCED,
then COM PORT NUMBER and use the down arrow to scroll
to the number you desire. Close out by clicking OK in all the
windows.
The two ID TECH drivers will appear to the system as an extra
Virtual Com Port. Application software accesses the USB device
in the same way it would access a standard Windows Com Port,
using the Windows VCOMM API calls or by using a Com Port
Library. Old DOS-based applications might need to be changed
in order to access the Virtual Com Port.
Open HyperTerminal or any similar communications program.
(Remember to have the properties set to the proper COM PORT
NUMBER and all the communication parameters set to match
those of the reader.) Input data will display on the HyperTermi-
nal screen, and output data will be sent to the reader.
CONFIGURATION
The EasyMag can be configured to your application. Configura-
tion settings enable the reader to work with the host system.
Once programmed, these configuration settings are stored in the
reader’s non-volatile memory (so they will not be affected by the
cycling of power).
The EasyMag is shipped from the factory with the default set-
tings already programmed. For a table of default settings, see
the Default Settings Table. Instructions necessary to program
the unit with custom settings are contained in the ID TECH
EasyMag RS-232 User’s Manual (P/N: 80003506-001). This
manual is available via the company’s Internet website.
Note: If you want to send setup commands to the EasyMag, you must
make sure the communication parameters are always 9600, None, 8, 1.
Before you make any settings, or try to get data to the host, check the
connection cable, port, power and communication parameters.
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