Wiring and Configuration

As mentioned in the brief page, Qiba's Digital VMC solution is highly configurable, to allow its application to a wide range of use cases. The picture below depicts the general overview of this solution.

A very broad description of what the solution does is the following:

  • Select the product using the inputs (with buttons, keypads, or anything wired there)

  • Pay for the product using the Cashless Terminal (also accepts coins, by the way)

  • Activate the outputs or relays according to selected configuration.


Relays and Inputs Connector Pinout

Pin

Description

1

GND

2

RXD232

3

TXD232

4

RL1 NC

5

RL1 NO

6

RL2 COM

7

GND

8

PWR IN

9

GND

10

INPUT 2

11

INPUT 1

12

RL1 COM

13

RL2 NC

14

RL2 NO

15

VCC 5V


Configuration

Digital VMC Configurations are divided in 3 major groups

  • Input/Output Configurations - To configure how the input signals can be handled and how the outputs/relays behave when payment is mad (or cancelled/rejected)

  • Payment Configurations - To choose which payment media can be used.

  • Price Levels - To select the price for each selection and eventually a custom output behaviour for a specific input (selection)

The configurations that are comprised in those groups are explained below.

Input/Output

The available configurations are presented in figure below.


Configuration

Description

Paralell Vends

Dictates if it is possible to select and activate a procuct while the previous selection is being processed (output still active for the previous paid product)

Session Logic

Allows 2 choices:

  • Pulse Activated: When the input pin (selection) is activated and released (like a button pressed), the payment media will wait for payment until the timeout expires.

  • Level Activated/Release Cancel: The input pin must remain active until payment is made, otherwise the payment media will be reverted to idle state (not waiting for payment).

Input Format

Allows 2 choices:

  • Discrete: The selection item number is directly mapped to the input number.

  • Binary(4 bit): The selection item number is given by the input combination in Binary code (useful when there is some device that outputs data in this format, e.g. keypad)

Ready Pin

When enabled, the pin number in the text box below indicates the pin to be used as Ready Signal. When this pin is not active, the system will not react to any input selection.

Cancel Pin

When enabled, the pin number in the text box below indicates the pin to be used as Cancel Signal. When this pin is activated during a vending session, it will automatically cancel it.

Default Output Duration

Indicates the time in seconds which the output(s) will be activated.

Vend Deny Signal

When this value is different of 0, the output will show this number (in the format selected in "Default Output Format") whenever a vending session is cancelled, times out, or payment gets denied.

Vend Approve Handling

Allows 3 choices:

  • Price Level ID: When vend approved, the output will show the slected item number, according to the configuration selected in Default Output Format.

  • Price: When vend approved, the output will show the selected item price, according to the configuration selected in Default Output Format.

  • Static: When vend is approved, the output will show a static value according to the configuration selected in Default Output Format.

Pulses

When enabled, unlocks Output Pin and Output Frequency textboxes, which configure the Pin where the pulses will be driven when vend is approved, and the pulse frequency, respectively. The number of pulses will depend on Vend Approve Handling.

Busy Pin

When enabled, unlocks a text box to input the pin number to be used as Busy pin. This pin is active whenever a transaction is being process. A transaction is in progress from the moment the product is selected until the output is no longer active, or the payment times out.

Cashless

When enabled, Cashless Payments are supported and allows the selection of Cashless Device Type , where the Cashless Reader type can be chosen (currently only MDB Cashless is supported, and needs the MDB-USB for integration with this solution.


Payment methods


Configuration

Description

Cashless

When enabled, Digital VMC Accepts Cashless Payments. It also unlocks Cashless Device Type where MDB Cashless should be selected.

Default Price Level

When this value is different from 0, when user presents a card without selecting a product first, the item number corresponding to the number inserted will automatically be selected.

Coins

When enabled, Pulsed Coin Acceptors can be used to give payment to Digital VMC. Coin Acceptor Pin Configures which pin will be reading the Coin Acceptor's Pulses, Enable Pin (when different of 0) allows another Pin to be used to enable the Coin Acceptor (if the pin is low, coins will not be accepted), and finally Pulse Value dictates how much credit each pulse corresponds to.

Cloud Payments

When enabled, allows payments via TWINT (only available in Switzerland), unlocking the following configurations:

  • Use SIM800C modem: When enabled, instead of Ethernet/WiFi, Digital VMC connects to the internet using SIM800C Modem.

  • Keep Alive Timeout:

  • Twint mail User: When configured with a valid mail registered to TWINT, twint payments are verified by a notification mail. This method is deprecated, and therefore should not be used for commercial applications.

  • Twint cashregister ID: The merchant ID that is provided by TWINT upon registration as a merchant.


Price levels

Configuration

Description

Price

The price of the selection.

Function

Accepts 4 choices:

  • Default: The output is given by the Configurations in Input/Output

  • Activate Output: When the selection is paid for, activate the output number in Output textbox during the time in Time (textboxes unlucked when this option is selected)

  • Fixed Value: When the selection is paid for, the output will show the value inserted in Value according to the format defined in Default Output Format.

  • Pulsed: When the selection is paid for, the output pin number selected in Output will pulse the number of times selected in Number of Pulses textbox. This configuration needs to have Pulses enabled in Input/Output section.

Twint QR Code (Only Available when Cloud payments enabled)

Selects which QR Code Number will activate the item number when paid with TWINT.