7526/7527 Frequently Asked Questions

 


Alternatives to IBM 7526/27 terminals

Q: Now that IBM has withdrawn the 7526 and 7527 terminals, what fixed terminal alternatives are available that will work with DCConnect?

Find out how DCConnect is now able to work with several different models of fixed terminals from third party hardware vendors.


Custom Keyboard Overlays

Q: How can you get customized keypad overlays or other labeling to show the workers the purpose of each function key?

You can have customized keypad overlays or inserts made for your 7526 and 7527 terminals. Details are slightly different for each machine, as described below.

7527

Custom keyboard overlays for the 12-key PF area and 50-key alphanumeric area of the 7527 models 001 and 002 can be created for individual applications. IBM makes available its die cutting tools to customers who wish to achieve the precise trimming required to fit the keyboard indentations and key cut-outs. Cost of this cutting is negotiated between the customer and the supplier set up by IBM with this tool. IBM owns the tools, but receives no money from the vendor for this usage.


         TADCO

         POOLE'S LANE

         P.O. BOX 30

         ROCKPORT, MA 01966



         ATTN:  BILL FULFRED, OR JULIA

         (508) 546-7525   FAX:(508) 546-9250
The general process is:
  1. Sketch the desired text and coloring, using overlay drawings in the back of the 7527 GI manual (G33F5138) Minimize the number of colors used to keep costs down.
  2. Have art works pasted up and processed for each color used
  3. Have the silkscreening onto large sheets of polycarbonate completed (typically several overlays to the sheet)
  4. Apply the adhesive backing to the large sheet
  5. Die cut the sheet on our tool (a step-and-repeat process)
Tadco is the only company that can do step 5. They also can do steps 2-4, if you desire, or another company can do those steps.

It simplifies the process to have Tadco do steps 2-5 -- and it may be the most economical. At the very least, a great simplification would come from having Tadco do steps 3-5 (since they already have their step-and-repeat die cutting controller machine set up with a specific pattern of cookie-cutting process -- otherwise you have to coordinate with Tadco and your other vendor as to how the overlays are repeated on the large sheet).

7526

7526 keypad label inserts are made for IBM by


  SCREENPRINT/DOW

  217 BALLARDVALE ST

  P.O. BOX 1332

  WILMINGTON, MA 01887-0932



  PETER THOMPSON

  617 935-6395 X 228
Refer to IBM part number 71G6231 as an example of the parts needed. (This is the set of blank overlays provided with 7526s).

7526 keypad iserts are simple shapes which many screen printers could replicate, but using the above vendor may be a little simpler and perhaps cheaper.

The general process is:

  1. Sketch the desired text and coloring, using overlay drawings in the back of the 7526 Hardware Information manual. Minimize the number of colors used to keep costs down.
  2. Have art works pasted up and processed for each color used
  3. Have the silkscreening onto large sheets of polycarbonate completed (typically several overlays to the sheet)
  4. Apply the adhesive backing to the large sheet
  5. Die cut the sheet on our tool (a step-and-repeat process)
It simplifies the process to have SP do steps 2-5 -- and it may be th e most economical. At the very least, a great simplification would come from having SP do steps 3-5 (since they already have their step-and-repeat die cutting controller machine set up with a specific pattern of cookie-cutting process -- otherwise you have to coordinate with SP and your other ve ndor as to how the overlays are repeated on the large sheet).


Controlling 2 Access Gates at Some Distance

Q: We have a customer who wants to use a 7526 data collection terminal with 2 slot readers attached to it to control 2 car park barriers. He wants to be able to swipe an ID badge through the slot reader attached to port A to open barrier 1 (via a DO bit) and port B to open barrier 2. Is there any way that a user can swipe a badge without pressing any buttons and get the correct barrier to open up? e.g. set bit 0 for port A and bit 1 for port B with the 7526 deciding which is which?

The '2 Doors' sample program/CFR does precisely what you want. Get the 7526_CFR PACKAGE from CIMTOOLS.

User's have made faily long extension cables for slot readers in the past. Up to 50 meters has been done. Your cable must be carefully constructed of high-quality, low-capacitance shielded cable. Use 22-24 gauge twisted pair cable. For bar code, 2 pairs is enough, for magnetic you need 4 pairs. Use 1 pair for power/ground (pins 1-3 on 7526 port), and 1 pair for each signal line with a ground (e.g. pins 2-3 on 7526 port for bar code data and ground).

The idea of twisting a signal ground with each power and signal line is to eliminate wire loop area which can pick up inductive noise from the surroundings.

The LED control lines on the sensor ports can be used to activate lights or optical relays at the reader location. You would need a break-out cable at the end to allow attachment (only the little-used magnetic wand has built-in LEDs).


Use Of Old Multi-Use Communications 'R-Loop' Wiring / 3640

Q: Can you re-use the cabling system installed in a factory for the old IBM 3640 data collection system?

IBM 3640 users will be able to continue using the magnetic stripe format from that product family; however, the 3640's Multi-Use Communications Loop (R-Loop) is not supported. To use the existing wiring (also 2 twisted pairs) of the R-Loop, several steps would need to be taken to convert to the Pipestone buss.


External Buzzers -- Louder

Q: In loud environments, it is sometimes difficult to hear the beeper on the data collection terminal. How can you connect external beepers, lights, or other annunciators?

For installations with a high ambient noise level, an external beeper may be connected to the 7525 or 7527 terminal. Suggested third-party beepers include:



    General Purpose: Murata-Erie PKB5-3B0 (available as Newark Electronics

                     stock # 81F3712, $6.00 in 1-49 qty.).  This buzzer

                     is loud, with a fairly pleasant sound.  Comes with

                     wire leads about 6" long.  Connect the red lead to

                     5 VDC and the black lead to a control line on the

                     DCT (see below for details).



    Sealed Enclosure:Floyd Bell, Inc. model XC-V09-212-S is advertised as

                     water-proof.  It mounts through a 1 1/8" panel hole

                     which could be sealed.  This may be a good unit for

                     mounting in a NEMA 4 cabinet, with the 752x inside.

                     Screw-type connections.  Connect 5VDC to "+", control

                     line to "-".  This unit has a manually-operator damper

                     to control the volume.  The sound is not as pleasant,

                     or quite as loud, as the Murata part above.

                     Floyd Bell Inc. is at 897 Higgs Ave., Columbus, OH

                     43212, PH: 614/294-4000.  About $12 in their price

                     list.
The Data Collection Terminal can provide 5VDC power to the beeper, and a DO control line:


    7525:

          5 VDC -- On pin 1 of the bar code wand connector.



          Control line -- Pin 8 of the bar code wand connector is activated

                          automatically in conjunction with the internal

                          beeper.



    7526:

          5 VDC -- On pin 1 of the each sensor port, and pin 20 of the

                   DI/DO port.



          Control line -- Pins 7, 8, and 9 of each sensor port are all

                          good choices.  They may be controlled using the

                          LED transaction program command.



                          7526 also has optional automatic operation of

                          DO point 6 to indicate successful operation

                          and DO point 7 to indicate unsuccessful operation.

                          These points are activated under the same

                          rules as standard operation of the terminal

                          beeper.  Configure via the Terminal Configuration

                          Editor, General Parameters section of DCC/2.
    7527:

          5 VDC -- On pin 1 of the each sensor port, and pin 20 of the

                   DI/DO port.



          Control line -- Pins 7, 8, and 9 of each sensor port are all

                          good choices.  They may be controlled using the

                          LED transaction program command.  The LED command

                          can work with either port, both of which are

                          wired to correspond to the LED command as follows:



                          LED Command       Sensor Port

                          Indicator Number  Connector Position



                              1                7

                              2                9

                              3                8





                          You could also use the write DO (WRDO) command

                          and hook it up to any of the DO points.



                          Using the LED command is more

                          convenient from a transaction

                          programming point of view because a WRDO for

                          1 second would cause a 1 second delay in your

                          program, while a using the LED command for a 1

                          second indicator beep allows your program to

                          continue while the beep is active (it is

                          asynchronous to the transaction program).

                          Also, the LED command allows selection of a beep

                          length from 0.02 to 1.98 seconds, or permanent

                          on (set to 0).  The WRDO command only allows

                          integral numbers of seconds (or permanent on).


7527 Programming Example: These examples assume that DCC/2 is used to program the terminals. Say you want to beep once for 1/2 second after a successful bar code read. You hook the beeper control line to pin 7 of Sensor Port B and simply add an LED command call after the READ: 1 READ fixed length 7 from.... 2 LED magnetic port 2 LED 1 for 0.50 seconds Or, say you want to beep once for 0.24 seconds for a read which passes a validation, and beep twice for 0.5 seconds each on a read which does not pass. Again, we are connected to pin 7 of Sensor port B.


 1 READ fixed length 7 from (SA) verify skip absent in file BADGES.VAL

 2 GOTO current transaction step 12

 3 CMT  // We skip to here if badge read absent from verfication file

 4 SHOW MSG "Error: Check your badge etc....." at row 20 column 1

 5 LED magnetic port 2 LED 1 for 0.5 seconds

 6 CMT  // Wait for 0.5 seconds for beep to end, then another 0.5 seconds

 7 CMT  // for a quiet period  = a 1 second delay

 8 DLAY 1 seconds

 9 LED magnetic port 2 LED 1 for 0.5 seconds

10 CMT  // Go back and let user retry input

11 GOTO current transaction step 1

12 CMT  // We come to this step if verification in step 1 passed

13 LED magnetic port 2 LED 1 for 0.24 seconds

14 CMT  // Go on with business....