Currency detector
Encyclopedia
A currency detector is a device that determines if a piece of currency is, or is not, counterfeit. These devices are used in vending machine
s that accept payment and dispense a product to a customer. They are also used in change machine
s and in slot machine
s.
The process involves examining the currency that has been inserted, and by using various tests, determine if the currency is counterfeit. Since the parameters are different for each coin
or paper money
, these detectors must be programmed for each item that they are to accept.
In operation, if the item is accepted it is retained by the machine and placed in a storage device. If the item is rejected, the machine returns the item. If it is a coin, it usually drops into a container for the customer to take back. If it is a bill, the machine pushes the bill out and the customer must remove it from the slot in which it was placed.
, SSP, and MDB
. Wrinkled or creased bills can cause these machines to reject them.
There are currently only a handful of companies manufacturing this equipment. MEI, Japan Cash Machine (JCM) and Coin Acceptors Inc. (CoinCo) are three of the largest, each maintaining dominance in a particular market segment. Other notable companies producing this type of equipment include CashCode CRANE, International Currency Technologies (ICT), Alpha CMS (Cash Management Solutions), Astrosystems, Money Controls, Pyramid Technologies, Validation Technologies International (VTI), Innovative Technology Ltd (ITL), Global Payment Technologies (GPT) and Jofemar.
Bill validators were introduced in the US in the early 1980s. Recent innovations include remote auditing and reporting by these devices as part of an Automated Cash Handling network for banking, retail, casino and other industries.
Pricing on these types of units can be less than $50 for a used refurbished unit, to over $1000 or more on a new, state of the art, high security unit.
While in the past these devices were extremely susceptible to failure and jamming due to folded or damaged notes, they have improved remarkably in recent years, and now include such features as automatic jam ejection and automatically calibrating sensor
s. Cleaning cards
are available to remove contaminants from the machines.
, and then sends an appropriate electrical signal via its output connection. The next step is generally performed by the coin changer.
Simple mechanical coin acceptors are relatively easy to cheat by using slugs
and other coin-like materials that pass the rudimentary validation. Today, sophisticated electronic coin acceptors are in use in some places that, in addition to validating weight and size, also scan the deposited coin using optics and match the image to a pre-defined list.
Normal coins pick up microscopic deposits from human fingers. When a coin acceptor is used long enough, thousands of coins rolling down a ramp will leave enough dirt to be visible. The acceptor requires periodic cleaning to prevent malfunctioning. Coin acceptors are modular, so a dirty acceptor can be replaced with a clean unit, preventing downtime.
Some new types of coin acceptors are able to recognize the coins through training, so they will support any types of coins or tokens.
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
s that accept payment and dispense a product to a customer. They are also used in change machine
Change machine
A change machine is a machine that accepts large denominations of currency and returns an equal amount of currency in smaller bills or coins. Typically these machines are used to provide coins in exchange for paper currency, in which case they are also often known as bill changers.In the US, these...
s and in slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s.
The process involves examining the currency that has been inserted, and by using various tests, determine if the currency is counterfeit. Since the parameters are different for each coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
or paper money
Paper Money
Paper Money is the second album by the band Montrose. It was released in 1974 and was the band's last album to feature Sammy Hagar as lead vocalist.-History:...
, these detectors must be programmed for each item that they are to accept.
In operation, if the item is accepted it is retained by the machine and placed in a storage device. If the item is rejected, the machine returns the item. If it is a coin, it usually drops into a container for the customer to take back. If it is a bill, the machine pushes the bill out and the customer must remove it from the slot in which it was placed.
Banknote acceptors
Also known as bill validators or bill acceptors, paper currency detectors scan pliant currency using optical and magnetic sensors. Upon validation, the bill validator will inform the vending machine controller (VMC) or other host device of a credit via a parallel or serial interface. Various interfaces exist for the host device including a single-line pulse interface, a multi-line parallel interface, a multi-line binary interface, and serial interfaces such as ccTalkCcTalk
ccTalk is a serial protocol in widespread use throughout the money transaction industry. Peripherals such as coin acceptors, bill validators and hoppers found in a diverse range of automatic payment equipment such as transportation, ticketing, payphones, amusement machines and retail cash...
, SSP, and MDB
Multidrop bus
A multidrop bus is a computer bus in which all components are connected to the same set of electrical wires. A process of arbitration determines which device gets the right to be the sender of information at any point in time...
. Wrinkled or creased bills can cause these machines to reject them.
There are currently only a handful of companies manufacturing this equipment. MEI, Japan Cash Machine (JCM) and Coin Acceptors Inc. (CoinCo) are three of the largest, each maintaining dominance in a particular market segment. Other notable companies producing this type of equipment include CashCode CRANE, International Currency Technologies (ICT), Alpha CMS (Cash Management Solutions), Astrosystems, Money Controls, Pyramid Technologies, Validation Technologies International (VTI), Innovative Technology Ltd (ITL), Global Payment Technologies (GPT) and Jofemar.
Bill validators were introduced in the US in the early 1980s. Recent innovations include remote auditing and reporting by these devices as part of an Automated Cash Handling network for banking, retail, casino and other industries.
Pricing on these types of units can be less than $50 for a used refurbished unit, to over $1000 or more on a new, state of the art, high security unit.
While in the past these devices were extremely susceptible to failure and jamming due to folded or damaged notes, they have improved remarkably in recent years, and now include such features as automatic jam ejection and automatically calibrating sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...
s. Cleaning cards
Cleaning cards
A cleaning card is a product designed to clean a device that facilitates a transaction. In order for the cleaning card to work properly in the device, it is important that the card resembles or mimics the material of the transaction media, in other words looks like a credit card or currency...
are available to remove contaminants from the machines.
Coin detectors
The basic principle for coin detection is to test the physical properties of the coin against known composites from acceptable coins. It evaluates the coin based on its weight, size, and/or magnetismMagnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
, and then sends an appropriate electrical signal via its output connection. The next step is generally performed by the coin changer.
Simple mechanical coin acceptors are relatively easy to cheat by using slugs
Slug (coin)
A slug is a counterfeit coin that is used to make illegal purchases from a coin-operated device, such as a vending machine, pay phone, parking meter, transit farebox, copy machine, coin laundry, gaming machine, or arcade game...
and other coin-like materials that pass the rudimentary validation. Today, sophisticated electronic coin acceptors are in use in some places that, in addition to validating weight and size, also scan the deposited coin using optics and match the image to a pre-defined list.
Normal coins pick up microscopic deposits from human fingers. When a coin acceptor is used long enough, thousands of coins rolling down a ramp will leave enough dirt to be visible. The acceptor requires periodic cleaning to prevent malfunctioning. Coin acceptors are modular, so a dirty acceptor can be replaced with a clean unit, preventing downtime.
Some new types of coin acceptors are able to recognize the coins through training, so they will support any types of coins or tokens.
See also
- Automated cash handlingAutomated cash handlingAutomated cash handling is the process of dispensing, counting and tracking cash in a bank, retail, check cashing, payday loan / advance, casino or other business environment through specially designed hardware and software for the purposes of loss prevention, theft deterrence and reducing...
- EURion constellationEURion constellationThe EURion constellation is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs worldwide since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image. Such software can then block the user from reproducing banknotes to prevent counterfeiting using...
- Intelligent Banknote Neutralisation SystemIntelligent banknote neutralisation systemIntelligent Banknote Neutralisation System is a security system which protects valuables against unauthorised access to its contents by rendering it unusable by marking all the cash as stolen by a degradation agent when an attempted attack on the system is detected.Well neutralised banknotes...
- WatermarkWatermarkA watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...