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Thread: Coin Mech/Acceptor/Validator

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    Default Coin Mech/Acceptor/Validator

    Hi,

    I'm after a coin acceptor/validator and am yet to find a cheap source in Australia. I only want one for the time being, to experiment with hooked up to a computer (So I need one which can interact with a PC on a serial port or something). Anyone know where to buy them?

    I know ones like Coke machines can refund various other coins to give correct change. I guess it'd be looking at a lot more to have one that does that?



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    Senior Member BCNZ's Avatar
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    MARS make some of the best coin mechs in the world:

    Microcoin make very good mechs as well - in fact I have used them in a couple
    of stand-alone internet terminals I set up for a client and they are ultra-reliable.
    They are an Aussie company as well.


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    Hey,
    Thanks for such a quick reply! So you used them for an internet terminal... that is a good idea. I was wanting to make like a VoIP Payphone terminal, but it will probably take me a long time! I haven't decided whether to use an ATA or a softphone, or even how to control it with a VB app (since thats all I can program in!), so I really just wanted to experiment with one for a while first!

    Do you know how much you paid for them? I really have no idea what the price range of a coin mech actually is. I never even knew what they were called until I googled around for half an hour!!

    Thanks again

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    Mars do make a good mech but they not an industry standard for anything non vending .
    Microcoin leave Mars for dead in terms of reliability , versatility and most importantly customer service. , also you dont need to be an MEI agent to custom program a Micromech , you can do it yourself .

    The mech best suited to your application is a "Microcoin SP" , it will cost you less than $300 brand new .
    No coin mech will interface directly to a PC with some electronics in between , As a standard most coin mechs will give a negative going pulse , default is 100ms but can be adjusted easily. Pricing can be adjusted to as many pulses per amount as you wish.

    There are some great coin mech to pc interfaces , some specifically made for internet kiosks from Sunrise Micro Solutions , They will even custom make interfaces / timers etc to your requirements

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    check out the mame forum... really cheap units are available for coin accept only... I think i paid fifty bucks for one that accepts up to four denominations.

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    hi nri make em too!
    i got one from ebay that has a power box and serial cable was from internet kiosk the guy(tech)changed it as it had a brass made $2 coin and then sold it on ebay was $50 and he actully live only mintues from me!!!
    have a look on aussie arcade forums aswell

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    Junior Member DevoDave's Avatar
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    Microcoin mechs are IMHO the best, and one big reason for that is the Accumulator output.

    Most simpler mechs output a single pulse for each coin. Eg. if you whack in a $1 coin, then you'll get a single pulse on one output, if you whack in a $2 coin you'll get a single pulse on another *different* output.

    With the Microcoins (either QL or SP) then you can have them programmed to output on the Accumulator output instead of or as well as the usual outputs. For arcade machine use, I program the Accumulator to output when a total of $1 is inserted. This means that Joe Public can throw in 20c, 50c, 10c, as well as $1 and $2 coins, and the mech will output a pulse at $1 intervals. (If you whack in $2 then you'll get two pulses.)

    I have a programmer for the QL/SP so if you need assistance I can help.

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    The microcoin validators I am using in the internet kiosk machines are QLs.

    Devodave, the programmer you have - is it a specialist unit? I'm wondering about getting one for my own use.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Studio1 View Post
    The microcoin validators I am using in the internet kiosk machines are QLs.

    Devodave, the programmer you have - is it a specialist unit? I'm wondering about getting one for my own use.
    The Programmer is called a Micromate , when I bought mine they were about $600 not sure what they cost now ., it's a fantastic held held unit only for the QL , The SP series needs a different program that is PC based called SP tools .

    The old Micromech coin mechs also used an earlier Micromate , this is for the S-5 , S-6 , S-16 etc

    Of course every brand of mech has it's own programmer and software but by far the SP & QL are the most versatile , although there are still programming variations that can only be overcome with an additional Credit Board .

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    I'm probably after the cheapest one that accepts multiple coins. How does an electronic refund work (ie to refund a certain dollar value held in the... coin reservoir! )

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    Will this work?
    Could I connect it to the serial or parallel port of a computer to read the inputs?

    Last edited by qapmoc; 01-04-08 at 12:27 AM. Reason: Cool! The forum automatically put the title of the URL for me!

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    Quote Originally Posted by qapmoc View Post
    Will this work?
    Could I connect it to the serial or parallel port of a computer to read the inputs?

    Not without an interface from Logic to Serial as pointed out earlier from Sunrise.

    Also these cheap coin mechs are called coin comparators not coin validators , they dont accept multipal coins they only accept a single type of coin ( the one you are using as the sample ) it compares the coin in the sample holder to the coin you are inserting , if close to the same it will accept. Unfortunately with the cheap junk mechs they also accept a lot a things that look like coins as well .

    Electronic refunding is only available in Vending mechs , they start at around $700 .

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    Member tytower's Avatar
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    This might be handy Vending_Machine_(Java).zip



    /* Copyright (c) 2008 the authors listed at the following URL, and/or
    the authors of referenced articles or incorporated external code:


    Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
    a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
    "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
    without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
    distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
    permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
    the following conditions:

    The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
    included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

    THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
    EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
    MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
    IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
    CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
    TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
    SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

    Retrieved from:
    */

    public class VendingMachine
    {
    private int itemPrice;

    private int currentBalance;

    private int totalCollected;

    public VendingMachine(int itemCost)
    {
    itemPrice = itemCost;

    }

    public int getItemPrice()

    {
    return itemPrice;

    }


    public int getCurrentBalance()
    {
    return currentBalance;
    }

    public void insertCoin(int faceValue)
    {
    if(faceValue > 0)
    {
    currentBalance = currentBalance + faceValue;

    }
    else
    {
    System.out.println("Invalid coin with face value " + faceValue +
    " inserted. Use a positive value!");
    }

    }

    public void dispenseItem()
    {
    if (currentBalance >= itemPrice)
    {
    System.out.println("############################## #########");
    System.out.println("# Thank you for your custom.");
    System.out.println("# Your item has been released. ");
    System.out.println("# Your item cost " + itemPrice + " pence.");
    System.out.println("############################## #########");
    System.out.println();

    totalCollected = totalCollected + itemPrice;

    currentBalance = currentBalance - itemPrice;

    }
    else
    {
    System.out.println("Please insert more coins to at least a value of " +
    (itemPrice - currentBalance) + ".");
    }

    }

    public int refundCurrentBalance()
    {
    int refundableAmount;
    refundableAmount = currentBalance;
    currentBalance = 0;

    return refundableAmount;
    }


    /* Test the class */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
    VendingMachine sodaVendor = new VendingMachine(75);
    VendingMachine candyBarVendor = new VendingMachine(60);

    System.out.println("A can of soda costs " + sodaVendor.getItemPrice() + " pence.");
    System.out.println("A candy bar costs " + candyBarVendor.getItemPrice() + " pence.");

    sodaVendor.insertCoin(50);
    System.out.println("The current balance in the soda vendor is: " + sodaVendor.getCurrentBalance() +
    " pence.");
    sodaVendor.insertCoin(20);
    System.out.println("The current balance in the soda vendor is now: " + sodaVendor.getCurrentBalance() +
    " pence.");

    sodaVendor.insertCoin(5); // now have 75p
    sodaVendor.dispenseItem();

    System.out.println("The current balance is the soda vendor is now: " + sodaVendor.getCurrentBalance() + " pence.");

    candyBarVendor.insertCoin(50);
    candyBarVendor.dispenseItem(); // should fail - 10 short!
    candyBarVendor.insertCoin(50);
    candyBarVendor.dispenseItem();

    // balance should now be 40!
    System.out.println("Candy bar vendor balance is now: " +
    candyBarVendor.getCurrentBalance() + " pence.");

    int refund = candyBarVendor.refundCurrentBalance();
    System.out.println("Is refund equal to 40? [true/false]: " + (refund == 40) + ".");
    System.out.println("Current balance in the candy bar vending machine is now: " + candyBarVendor.getCurrentBalance() + ".");

    sodaVendor.insertCoin(1); // OK
    sodaVendor.insertCoin(0); // Invalid
    sodaVendor.insertCoin(-1); // Invalid

    System.out.println("Current balance in soda vendor is: " + sodaVendor.getCurrentBalance() +
    " (should be 1).");

    }


    }

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