Specifications

DESCRIPTION
The MiniMag™
magnetic stripe reader can read 1, 2, or 3 tracks of magnetic
stripe information. In addition, it has full data editing capabilities.
The MiniMag reader is connected to a host computer USB communications port.
The cable has a standard USB plug for connection to the host and is permanently
attached to the reader. The MiniMag can be confi gured for compatiblity with the
host’s software. See the Confi guration Utility section. The reader behaves like a
Vendor defi ned Human Interface Device (HID) class device, Version 2.0 and is
USB Version 2.0 compatible.
This unit is fully programmable with a confi guration utility. The data can be for-
matted with preamble/postamble and terminator characters to match the format
expected by the host.
Power is obtained from
the host. No separate power supply is required.
HOST CONNECTIONS & DRIVERS
The MiniMag reader is connected to the host computer via a USB input port.
Since USB devices are designed to be “plug and play,” the computer will search
for a Human Interface Device (HID) driver when the MiniMag is fi rst connected.
If one cannot be found, the computer will prompt you to make a selection. The
Windows CD may be needed to complete the installation.
The magnetic stripe data is trasmitted and is available to the host as standard
windows API calls through the Microsoft USB HID Driver. Software applica-
tions are conveniently developed using this standard Microsoft driver interface.
The reader USB operation is full speed and may be too fast for operation with the
host. A polling interval value can be changed to slow the data transfer rate. The
USB Specifi cation and other information can be downloaded free from the USB
organization website (www.usb.org).
If the host computers application software is expecting the magstripe data in
a particular order and format, the readers output can be confi gured to output
the data stream by re-arranging data blocks, adding terminating characters, and
special preamble and/or postamble character strings to the decoded card data.
OPERATION
The MiniMag magnetic stripe reader is easy to operate. Just follow these
simple steps:
1. Make sure the reader is properly connected and is receiving suffi cient
power.
2. To read a card, slide the card, in either direction, through the reader slot,
with the magnetic stripe facing the magnetic head opposite 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.
3
2