Configuration Setup
The WR88 Wicket
Reader is field programmable
so that you can configure it for different interfaces to your
equipment and different pricing using a
Reader Programming Wicket
and the Wickets
Administrator Utility software. Most carwash equipment is based
on coin operation... which means that the equipment looks for output
pulses from a coin acceptor, bill acceptor, or some other similar
device. The WR88 Wicket Reader can be programmed to produce output
pulses just like a coin acceptor after debiting a Wicket for the
start amount required by the equipment. Likewise, it is also
programmed to know the Start Amount for the equipment, the Output
Pulse Value (such as $.25 per pulse) and the duration of each pulse
(such as 50ms).
Wicket Readers are shipped from the
factory in a "virgin state" and must be programmed
in the field by reading this data from a Reader Programming Wicket.
Once you have
installed Wickets Administrator, click the
Reader
Programming
button from the main screen to open the screen shown
below. Each tab on the screen
will be used to define how a Group of similar equipment will
operate. The data for each tab Group is then written to a Reader
Programming Wicket which is then taken around to each Wicket Reader
that is to use those set parameters.
Each tab
Group (except for the first one reserved for Revalue Stations)
is associated with a group of service equipment expected to operate
with the same prices, the same interface, and other parameters that
will configure the equipment (WR88 Wicket Reader) so that it
knows how to communicate with the equipment and what to do with
customer Wickets when presented. The screen shot on the right shows
example setup parameters that must be programmed into Wicket Readers.
Below are the setup steps to take.
1.) Click the Make A Programming Wicket
tab, then
click a Group Tab for a group of equipment that will all operate
with the same prices and parameters. You will need one Group for
the Wicket Readers that debit the Account Balance, and another one
for the Wicket Readers that use Loyalty points to start the
equipment.
2.) Set the Group Name
by clicking the drop-down box arrow and selecting a name from the
list, which include names for laundry and other applications, or you
may directly enter any name you like in the box. This name will then
be shown on the tab.
3.) Set the Wicket Reader
Interface according to the hardware interface the machine
requires. Select the Coin Pulse Output if the equipment requires
coin pulses to activate it and you are using the
WK-LV Module or the
WK-HV
Module to interface to the machine. Select the CardDisplay
Protocol if you have compatible IDX display-timer and use the
WK-CD Module for its
interface.
4.) Set your operating prices (so the Wicket Reader will know
how much to debit from a Customer Wicket) by setting the Start Up
Value and the Increment Value using the
Pop-Up Keypad. The Start Up
Value is the minimum amount to debit to get the machine started and
the Increment Amount is usually some smaller amount to debit for
additional time or services once the start amount has been
satisfied. If the Wicket Reader finds that the presented Wicket does
not have sufficient funds to start a machine, it won’t debit any
funds at all from it and will blink yellow to warn of insufficient
funds.
4a.) Just above the
Start Up Value is a checkbox to Pay Using Available Loyalty
Points instead of money in the Account Balance or Bonus Balance.
When checked, the Start Up Value becomes the Points To Start
that will be debited by the Wicket Reader to start the equipment.
Also the Pulse Value (or Coin Value) becomes Start Pulses (or
Start Coins) so that the Wicket Reader knows what to send out to the
equipment to get it started. When this option is selected, the
Wicket Reader will work only with Loyalty Points and completely
ignore the Account Balance and Bonus Balance of the Wicket.
5.) Set the Debit Limit
Options according to the number of incremental debits the machine
can handle.
6.) If you
are using a "Coin Pulse Output Interface" then set the Pulse Time (in
milliseconds) according to what your equipment expects to receive
from coin operated equipment as a valid coin pulse. Generally this
value will be between 15ms and 100ms. If you cannot find this
information about your equipment, IDX recommends 50ms be used in the
carwash market as your default choice.
7.) Set the Pulse Value. In
most North American sites, coin pulses are based on a $.25 coin.
However you can set the coin pulse value to be pretty much anything
you like. For example, in Europe and Australia there are no 0.25
coins, so 0.20, or 0.50 or 1.00 may be what is required.
8.) In the Reader Options
section:
-
Check the No Service - Debit
Lockout Enable box to lockout further debits to customer Wickets
if there is no Service Sense signal (machine did not start) for 10
minutes following a debit from the Wicket. When a lockout occurs,
the Wicket Reader will continuously blink red to indicate the
problem. The debit lockout condition can be cleared by starting
the machine or cycling power. During debit lockout a customer can
get his money refunded to his Wicket simply by reading his Wicket
on the same Wicket Reader one more time. The Wicket Reader will
blink green to indicate that the money has been refunded to the
Wicket.
-
Check the Service Sense = High
box if the voltage sensed by the Service Sense Input to the Wicket
Reader goes high when the machine is activated. This is the case with
most equipment. However, in cases the opposite is true, such as in
Maytag laundry machines that produce a “machine available” signal
which does the logical opposite and thus requires you to leave the
box unchecked.
-
Leave the Xtra-Time Enabled box
unchecked.
-
Check the Rainbow When Idle box
if you would like the Wicket Reader face to occasionally depart from
its normal blue idle color and quickly cycle through the colors of
the rainbow. This feature can help attract attention to the Wicket
Reader, but some may be concerned that it may confuse the customer
if it occurs about the time the customer is reading his Wicket.
Your choice.
9.) When you are done, tap
your Reader Programming Wicket on the
Wicket Reader Programming
Module to have it write this configuration information to the
Wicket
10.) Take the Reader
Programming Wicket around to all of the machines that will operate
with these particular configuration parameters and tap the Wicket on
the machine’s Wicket Reader to have it read in and program itself
with these parameters. The Wicket Reader will blink green to
indicate that it has successfully read the parameters from the
Reader Programming Wicket.
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