Electronic Devices for Connecting, Controlling and Monitoring Vending Machines, Car Washes, Coffee Machines via PC and POS Terminals

Most of the available vending machines, self-service car washes and coffee machines do not have the option of card payment and most often there is no possibility for issuing a fiscal receipt. A solution in the form of centralized certified software which should ensure connectivity with the tax administration and cover the necessary security elements and connectivity with the self-service system and devices located within, has been proposed. Due to different communication interfaces and protocols it is not possible to connect them directly, so requirements for a universal electronic device developing, that will provide connection, monitoring and control of various devices, is imposes. In this paper, a coupled electronic device based on an 8-bit PIC microcontroller and the MAX3100 chip with MDB, ccTALK, MDB EXE protocols, a parallel port, and other options required for efficient, stable, and reliable connection to self-service devices with a central management system will be presented.