80066507-001

ID TECH

10721 Walker Street

Cypress, California 90630

(714) 761-6368 www.idtechproducts.com

Rev. C R04/06 #417

TM

New MINIMAG

Magnetic Stripe Reader

RS-232 Interface

Quickstart Manual

AGENCY APPROVED

Specifi cations for subpart B of part 15 of FCC rule for a Class A computing device.

LIMITED WARRANTY

ID TECH warrants to the original purchaser for a period of 24 months from the date of invoice that this product is in good working order and free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. ID

TECH’s obligation under this warranty is limited to, at its option, replacing, repairing, or giving credit for any product which has, within the warranty period, been returned to the factory of origin, transportation charges and insurance prepaid, and which is, after examination, disclosed to ID TECH’s satisfaction to be thus defective. The expense of removal and reinstallation of any item or items of equipment is not included in this warranty. No person, fi rm, or corporation is authorized to assume for ID TECH any other liabilities in connection with the sales of any product. In no event shall ID TECH be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages to Purchaser or any third party caused by any defective item of equipment, whether that defect is warranted against or not. Purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedy for defective equipment, which does not conform to the requirements of sales, is to have such equipment replaced or repaired by ID TECH. For limited warranty service during the warranty period, please contact ID TECH to obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number & instructions for returning the product.

THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF

MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THERE ARE NO OTHER WARRANTIES OR GUARANTEES, EXPRESS

OR IMPLIED, OTHER THAN THOSE HEREIN STATED. THIS PROD-

UCT IS SOLD AS IS. IN NO EVENT SHALL ID TECH BE LIABLE FOR

CLAIMS BASED UPON BREACH OF EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WAR-

RANTY OF NEGLIGENCE OF ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHETHER DI-

RECT, IMMEDIATE, FORESEEABLE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL

OR FOR ANY EXPENSE INCURRED BY REASON OF THE USE OR

MISUSE, SALE OR FABRICATIONS OF PRODUCTS WHICH DO NOT

CONFORM TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE CONTRACT.

DEFAULT SETTINGS TABLE

The MiniMag reader is shipped from the factory with the following default settings already programmed:

Magnetic Track Basic Data Format

Track 1: <SS1><T

1

Data><ES><CR>*

Track 2: <SS2><T

2

Data><ES><CR>*

Track 3: <SS3><T

3 where:

Data><ES><Enter>*

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:

Data Bits:

9600 bps

8

Parity: None

Handshaking: x-On/x-Off

Stop Bits(s): x-On: x-Off:

1

DC1 (Hex 11)

DC3 (Hex 13)

Start or End Sentinel: Characters in encoding format which come before the fi rst 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> characters (shown above) between tracks 1 & 2 and 2 & 3 denote the default character for this position, the Track Separator position. The

<CR> shown for track 3 denotes the default character for this position, the Terminator position.

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RUNNING THE UTILITY

The reader is shipped from the factory with the “default confi guration” programmed. The default confi guration has the least restrictive settings, thus making it able to read all data of a standard encoded magnetic stripe card.

See the default settings table for details.

The confi guration software can be downloaded from the ID TECH website.

From the website, download the Confi guration Utility ZIP fi le into a temporary fi le folder on your local hard drive. Double click the downloaded self extracting fi le and follow the screen prompts to expand the Zip fi le and run the SETUP.EXE application.

The install wizard creates two new folders on the C: Drive. The new folder

“IDTECH” and a sub-folder “MagSwipe Confi guration Utility” are created in the “Program Files” folder.

At the fi nish of the installation process, an “MagSwipe Confi guration Utility” menu is installed in the programs folder of the Start menu. Connect the reader to the host computer and ensure it is getting power. Point to the

“MagSwipe Confi guration Utility” menu and click on the IDT icon.

The utility will start at the Home Page with a menu on the left border. Point and click on the menu items as needed. For information on using the utility, point and click the HELP menu selection.

©2006 International Technologies & Systems Corporation. The information contained herein is provided to the user as a convenience. 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 profi t or other commercial damage. The specifi cations 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 Innovation are trademarks of

International Technologies & Systems Corporation.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The USB (Universal Serial Bus) Specifi cation is Copyright© 1998 by Compaq Computer

Corporation, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation.

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SPECIFICATIONS

Power Requirements: 5 VDC +/-10% (50mV ripple maximum).

Ground 0 VDC (GND).Chassis ground connected to GND and magnetic head case.

Operating Current: About 40mA for decoded magnetic stripe (three

tracks).

External Power

Supply:

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.

Swipe Speed:

Card Thickness:

3 to 60 inches per second, bidirectional.

.015 to .045 inches.

Slot Width:

Dimensions:

Weight:

Cable Length:

.050 inches.

Length: 3.54 inches (90mm). Width: 1.34 inches

(34mm). Height: 1.10 inches (28mm).

4.6 oz.

6-foot straight cable.

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MAGSWIPE

TM

CONFIGURATION UTILITY

The magnetically encoded data on the magnetic stripe can be decoded (read) by magnetic card readers. The stripe data has a fi xed format defi ned by the

ISO standards. The ISO fi xed format is not always convenient or useful for card reading applications. The solution is for the card reader to decode the stripe data and then arrange the data into useful format and content. The reader-formatted data is transmitted from an intelligent communication interface.

The MiniMag is an intelligent magnetic stripe reader, which provides extensive formatting capability. In addition, characters can be added to the formatted data. To support the formatting capability, ID TECH provides an easy to use Confi guration Utility software application. New fi le saving capabilities allow confi gurations to be saved and used again without having to repeat the full confi guration process with each reader.

The Confi guration Utility supports all reader interfaces. The operating systems supported are Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

6

TROUBLE SHOTTING PROCEDURES

The troubleshooting process can be simplifi ed by reviewing these reader operations.

The unit should emit one long beep when power is fi rst applied. If it does not, then the unit is not receiving power. Check the power supply connections.

Once it has been confi rmed that the unit is correctly powered, swipe 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.”

Once the unit has indicated a “good read,” then proceed to check the interface confi guration.

Installation of the reader is generally trouble free, but there are some considerations if problems occur.

Does the baud rate , data bits number & parity match between reader and host?

Is the host set-up for card reader operation - Is the card reader application running?

Does the reader confi guration match the host application requirements?

DESCRIPTION

The MiniMag™ compact magnetic stripe reader can read 1, 2, or 3 tracks of magnetic stripe information. In addition, it has full data editing capabilities.

The unit is fully programmable. The data can be formatted with preamble/postamble and terminator characters to match the format expected by the host.

The MiniMag can be connected to a host computer via an

RS-232 input port. When the reader is connected as an RS-232 device, a separate power supply must be used.

5

2

HOST CONNECTIONS

The MiniMag reader is connected to the host computer’s RS-232 communications port. The cable has a DB-9 connector at one end, and is connected to the reader at the other end. (An adapter can be used to connect to a DB-25 RS-232 port.)

Data is transmitted to the host in an ASCII data format. The reader’s output can be formatted with terminating characters and special preamble and/or postamble character strings to match the data format expected by the application.

The terminal must be confi gured to accept the data and to perform the appropriate processing. Care must be taken to ensure that the RS-232 parameters (baud rate, data bits, Start/Stop characters, parity, and handshaking method) match those expected by the terminal.

Use the MagSwipe Confi guration Utility Application to program the reader, and a communication program (such as Procomm or

Hyperterminal) to display the data.

There is insuffi cient power available on a standard RS-232 serial port to power the MiniMag, so an external wall-mounted power module must be used. Connect the power cable from this unit to the power receptacle located on the DB-9 connector. Care must be taken to ensure the power module operates at less than +5 volts.

3

CONFIGURATION

The MiniMag must be appropriately confi gured to your application.

Confi guration settings enable the reader to work with the host system.

These settings are programmed into the reader using the Confi guration

Utility Program. Once programmed, these confi guration settings are stored in the reader’s non-volatile memory.

The MiniMag is shipped from the factory with the default settings already programmed. For a table of the default settings, see the Default

Settings Table. Use the confi guration utility to change reader confi guration. See Page 6.

OPERATION

The MiniMag magnetic stripe reader is easy to operate. Just follow these 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.

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 for 1/2 second.

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.

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