RobotPOS Plus Frequently asked questions

What is this FAQ for?

Based on information requested by customers, this FAQ is designed to cover issues relating to the RobotPOS Plus range of EPOS terminals.

3.00. RobotPOS plus
3.01. What operating systems are compatible with RobotPOS Plus.
3.02. Is RobotPOS Plus compatible with Windows XP embedded.
3.03. What is the maximum CPU speed.
3.04. What is the IP rating of the RobotPOS Plus terminal.
3.05. Can I have more than 4 serial ports and can I drive a digital cashdrawer.
3.06. I want an I-button with a strong magnet to prevent accidental dis-connection.
3.07. Can I still use the remote keyboard with RobotPOS Plus.
3.08. Is a pole display available for RobotPOS Plus.
3.09. Is it possible to have a built-on keyboard with RobotPOS Plus.
3.10. Can I disable the USB sockets to prevent un-authorised tampering with the terminal
3.11. How can I prevent un-authorised tampering with the hard drive.
3.12. How long will spare parts be available.
3.13. Is suspend to memory available on RobotPOS Plus.
3.14. How much power can the RobotPOS Plus Power supply deliver.
3.15. Are the COM ports on the RobotPOS plus standard PC COM ports.
3.16. How much current can the RobotPOS serial ports supply.
3.17. Why isn't the side power switch protected to prevent accidental activation.

1st Level Technical FAQ (No need to get inside the machine)

3.18. My MSR beeps once and won't produce any output.
3.19. Why does my terminal crash (without error messages) when I install Windows XP.
3.20. Why can't I boot from a USB CDROM.
3.21. Why does the RobotPOS Plus "Y" lead have an "E" on the mouse connector.
3.22. How do I test a 6 port RobotPOS Plus using Hyperterminal.
3.23. When I connect a Datalogic Gryphon scanner, the scanner does not pass data.
3.24. How do I switch data between the internal and external customer display.
3.25. Can I connect a modem to COM1 when the internal customer display is connected.
3.26. The Observer 3 monitor is warning that the V Core voltage is too low.
3.27. Can I use XP embedded with RobotPOS Plus.
3.28. Is it possible to remotely shut down and wake up RobotPOS Plus via Wake On LAN.
3.29. My software uses DOS 800x600 on a 13.3" terminal and I do not want BIOS autostretch.

Engineer Level FAQ, Password protected (Requires qualified engineer/safety test)

3.30. How do I add a customer display to RobotPOS Plus.
3.31. How do I dis-connect the internal customer display.
3.32. What is the difference between a 4 port and 6 port RobotPOS plus.
3.33. How do I set the voltage on pin 9 of the serial port D-type connector.
3.34. How do I configure the voltage for 12V or 24V cashdrawers.
3.35. What are the connections for the digital cashdrawer connector.
3.36. Can RobotPOS Plus be fitted with an I-button or Dallas Key.
3.37. How do I modify RobotPOS Plus to boot up immediately so I dont have to press the power button
3.38. Is it possible to change the voltage on pin 9 of the D-type serial connector to Pin 8 or Pin 1
3.39. How do I reprogram the BIOS on a RobotPOS Plus.
3.40. How do I exchange a 13.3" TFT assembly for a 12.1" TFT assembly.

Answers
Support
3.0) RobotPOS Plus

3.01. What operating systems are compatible with RobotPOS Plus.
RobotPOS Plus can support Windows95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP/Linux.

3.02. Is RobotPOS Plus compatible with Windows XP embedded.
YES, Robot POS Plus is compatible with XP embedded, but we still strongly recommend cutomers to evaluate the integration before formal ordering.

3.03. What is the maximum CPU speed
The Standard RobotPOS Plus CPU is a VIA C3 1GHz processor. For those wishing higher CPU speeds, order our RobotPOS Plus II model supporting Pentium 3/Celeron processors up to 1.4GHz. Contact Technical Support for the specification.

3.04. What is the IP rating of the RobotPOS terminal
The RobotPOS Plus range is rated at has been approved with IP 43 degree." (International Protection 43). This standard classifies the sealing effectiveness of enclosures of electrical equipment against the intrusion of foreign bodies and moisture.
RobotPOS Plus under a constant waterfall            Internal silicon washer maintains moisture resistance

So what is International Protection 43? It's not just a number; the first numeral "4" indicates the protection against solid foreign objects with a diameter greater than 1mm. The second numeral "3" indicates the protection against splashing water. To pass this test, the RobotPOS Plus is placed in a chamber with water spraying at an angle of 60 degrees on either side of the unit for 10 minutes.

3.05. Can I have more than 4 serial ports and can I drive a digital cashdrawer.
Yes, the RobotPOS Plus range has the option of three internal plug-in modules for serial ports and digital cashdrawers.
Option 1 - Four serial port version
Option 2 - Six serial port version
Option 3 - Four serial ports and two auto sensing (12V or 24V) cashdrawer ports.When deciding how many COM ports are required, bear in mind that COM1 is nomally reserved for the internal optional customer display (if required) but COM 1 can also be used externally by changing jumpers internally (See question 3.14. item 7)
COM2 is used internally for the touch controller and is not available externally.
COM3/4/5/6 are free and can be configured for 5V or 12V by changing jumpers on the serial port module.

3.06. I want an I-button with a strong magnet to prevent accidental dis-connection.
There are two types of strength of magnetism for the I-button, the strongest type being slightly more expensive.
Please contact sales, email:Chris Yang for pricing.

3.07. Can I still use the remote keyboard with RobotPOS Plus range.
Yes provided the infra sensor is fitted, please specify that you require the I/R sensor when ordering.

3.08. Is a pole display available for RobotPOS Plus.
A pole display is available, as shown below.


3.09. Is it possible to have a built-on keyboard with RobotPOS Plus.
A 40 key keypad is a possible option ( as shown below ) but this has not yet been formally approved. Please ask customers to provided further information on the number of keys required and the functions required.


3.10. Can I disable the USB sockets to prevent un-authorised tampering with the terminal
Yes, the USB sockets can be disabled in the BIOS.
REBOOT the machine and enter the BIOS by "DEL" during start-up.
Navigate to "Advanced Chipset Features" and select disable "OnChip USB".
Select "Save and Exit Setup" to save the changes.

3.11. How can I prevent un-authorised tampering with the hard drive.
There are two options for the location of the Hard Drive.
For easy access, the hard drive is normally fitted in the side of the unit.
To prevent tampering, the hard drive can be screwed behind a metal cover in the base of the terminal.

3.12. How long will spare parts be available.
The factory can guarantee that compatible spare parts (not same parts) will be still available for 5 years after Robot POS Plus production termination.

3.13. Is suspend to memory available on RobotPOS Plus.
No this function is not available at present.

3.14. How much power can the RobotPOS Plus Power supply deliver.
The RobotPOS Plus power supply can deliver 75 Watts. Maximum current it can supply is 5V DC/ 8 amps, 12V/ 2 amps.

3.15. Are the COM ports on the RobotPOS plus standard PC COM ports.
Yes, COM1 (03F8, IRQ4), COM2 (02F8,IRQ3), COM3 (03E8,IRQ10), COM4 (02E8,IRQ11).
However, like the RobotPOS range, COM1 is also used by the customer display ( but is also available externally ). COM2 is used by the touch screen and is not available externally.

3.16. How much current can the RobotPOS serial ports supply.
The serial ports can supply 5V and 12V at a maximum of 1 Amp.

3.17. Why isn't the side power switch protected to prevent accidental activation.
For Robot POS Plus, a single press of the power switch will power the unit on. But to power the unit off, you need to have a CONSTANT push on the power switch for 5 seconds. We believe that this will help to prevent accidental activation.

1st Level Technical FAQ (No need to get inside the machine)

3.18. My MSR beeps once and won't produce any output.
If there is no external wedge device or external keyboard connected, please make sure that the supplied jumper plug is connected into the PS/2 keyboard socket. Otherwise the internal MSR or the Laser scanner of ScanPOS will not work in Windows 2000/XP.

Location of keyboard jumper          Close-up of keyboard jumper

3.19. Why does my terminal crash (without error messages) when I install Windows XP.
To avoid this problem turn off all the USB ports prior to XP installation.
These ports can be activated again after O/S installation and Windows XP will run normally.
REBOOT the machine and enter the BIOS by "DEL" during start-up.
Navigate to "Advanced Chipset Features" and select disable "OnChip USB".
Select "Save and Exit Setup" to save the changes.
Re-boot the machine and continue with WIndows XP installation.

3.20. Why can't I boot from a USB CDROM.
This can be caused by incorrect settings in the BIOS. Attach a PS/2 keyboard and press DEL to enter the BIOS during boot-up. Navigate to Chipset Features. Check that "USB keyboard support is enabled", also check that "OnCHip USB is enabled".
Thanks to Paul Giles for this tip.

3.21. Why does the RobotPOS Plus "Y" lead have an "E" on the mouse connector.
The Y lead of RobotPOS Plus is used only for External Keyboard wedge devices, (like MSR, Barcode reader...). One end is Mini-DIN male which connects to the RobotPOS Plus K/B connector. The "Y" end of the lead has a Mini-DIN female marked "K" and a male marked "E". This is for External Keyboard wedge devices. (wedge device have 2 connecters, one is male and the other is female) the user must connect both these connectors to the Y lead of RobotPOS Plus.

RobotPOS Plus Y lead.

3.22. How do I test a 6 port RobotPOS Plus using Hyperterminal.
How do I use Hyperterminal to test a six port RobotPOS Plus as Hyperterminal will only detect COM1 ~ COM4.
The solution is to enter the BIOS, select Integrated Peripherals and disable COM1 and COM2. Hyperterminal will now detect COM3 ~ COM6 only.
Once COM1/2 have been disabled, COM5/6 will now be displayed as ITE COM1/2 in Windows/System/Device Manager
To test COM5 for example connect a test VFD customer display to COM5 and select COM1 in Hyperterminal.
Once the test is complete, do not forget to re-enable COM1 - 3F8,IRQ4 and COM2 - 2F8,IRQ3.
Note: The touch screen will not be active once COM1/2 has been disabled.

3.23. When I connect a Datalogic Gryphon K/B scanner the scanner does not pass data.
Connecting a Datalogic Gryphon scanner directly to the PS/2 keyboard socket can produce a "No keyboard" error message at start-up. Following boot-up the scanner will beep but no data is passed. The solution is to connect the Gryphon scanner to the supplied "Y" lead. Do not connect the scanner directly to the PS/2 keyboard socket.

3.24. How do I switch data between the internal and external customer display.
If an external customer display is connected to COM1 it is possible to send data to either the internal or external customer display individually or both simultaneously. To demonstrate this, install and run Windows Hyperterminal. Match the COM1 port settings to the default customer display settings by setting COM1 to 9600 baud, data bits=8, Parity=None, Stop bits=1, Flow control=Hardware.

In the File/Properties/Settings Tab/ASCII setup, tick the boxes for "Send line ends with line feeds" and "Echo typed characters locally". If the settings are correct, characters typed on the keyboard will now appear on the screen. The control characters for the customer display are sent according to the format "ESC = n"
To switch to the external customer display press keys "Esc", then "=", then "1". Now typing on the keyboard will now send characters to the external customer display.
The control commands are summarised below....
Select internal/external customer display. Esc=n
When n = 01h, enable external customer display, disable internal customer display.
When n = 02h, enable internal customer display, disable external customer display.
When n = 03h, enable external customer display, enable external customer display.

3.25. Can I connect a modem to COM1 when the internal VFD is connected.
This does not seem to be possible as the Internal customer display takes over control of the DSR line holding it permanently high.

3.26. The Observer 3 monitor is warning that the V Core voltage is too low.
The Observer 3 V Core settings should be configured around the CPU manufacturers specification. In the case of the VIA 1GHz CPU for example, the default core voltage is 1.25V. Enter "Setup" to configure the maximum/minimum core voltage.

3.27. Can I use XP embedded with RobotPOS Plus.
Yes, XP embedded is approved for Robot POS Plus (ST-120) as well as Robot POS II (St-268).
We can pre-load OS for you and lead-time is 2~3 weeks.
There is no minimum order quantity for OS.

3.28. Is it possible to remotely shut down and wake up RobotPOS Plus via Wake-On-LAN.
1.1. Wake On LAN
WOL function on ST-120
Before start WOL, you have to power on the robot pos plus once and turn off the terminal.

BIOS setting, POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP , Enable the Modem Ring Resume function.

How to enable remote wake up at "managing terminal"
Attached is a program 'Magic Packet Utility"
Install this on the server, backoffice PC or the like

Will install to C:\pcnet\magic_pkt
Run MAGPAC.EXE program

1.2. Select [Magic Packets] --> [Power On One Host] to wake up remote terminal.


1.3. Key in the "Destination Ethernet Address" with MAC address.
To get MAC address
WIN2000 Star==> Run==> input "cmd" and enter
(will start a dos commend mode)
Enter "ipconfig /all" you will get Physical address: xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx2. Shutdown
A M'soft utility shutdown.exe is loaded with XP and on the Resorce CD on Win2K
this utility can be used to shutdown remote PCs
By scheduling with this utility the RobotPOS Plus can be shut down at night.

3.29. My software uses DOS 800x600 70Hz on a 13.3" terminal and I do not want the BIOS to autostretch the image.
Some customers may want their DOS programs to run in a window on a 13.3" 1024x768 screen instead of being automatically scaled to fill the screen by the BIOS. Normally customers would order a 12.1" terminal for 800x600. To stop the BIOS auto scaling please reprogram the BIOS with the following file "030708.bin".

Please contact sales, email:Chris Yang for pricing.

Specification subject to change without notice