Cash Drawer Question

[bobabi]

I am trying to open a cash drawer attached directly to my computer via a modem. The drawer uses Epson codes and I am testing sending the codes to COM1 via an Excel command button and VB script. The code is basically three lines:

1. Open comm port
2. Use Print command to send codes with CHR
3. Close comm port

My wife is opening a store in a couple of weeks and I am setting up a simple spreadsheet to calculate sales prior to moving to (and training her) on a POS system. I plan on looking at the POS system here as an option.

I am not sure if the modem sends signals in a similar manner as receipt printers. I am using a standard inkjet printer with 8 1/2 x 11 perforated paper as the receipts (the store is low volume retail).

[Dale Harris]

Are you sure that your cash drawer is supposed to be attached to the modem? The COM port usually refers to the SERIAL port. I have never heard of a cash drawer that attaches to a modem.

There are two types of cash drawers, those that attach to a receipt printer and those that attach to a serial port on the computer.

If the cable from your cash drawer ends with an RJ-11 plug, which looks just like a phone plug, then it most likely is the type of cash drawer that connects to a receipt printer. Receipt printers will have an RJ-11 socket for this type of cash drawer. Regular printers will not have this socket.

Serial cash drawers will have a serial plug at the end of the connecting cable.

From your note it looks to me as though you have a "receipt printer" type of cash drawer and you have attached it to your modem. This of course will not work. You either will have to get a "serial port" cash drawer or a receipt printer that will have a RJ-11 socket.

"Epson codes" refer to the control codes that you send to an Epson receipt printer to tell the printer to open the cash drawer.

[bobabi]

Oh well...I thought the actual 'signal' sent via a receipt printer may be the same 'electrically' as one sent from a modem. I guess not ... Now my choices are either to exchange the cash drawer - or buy a receipt printer. A classic example of a software person trying to make hardware choices.

[Andrew]

If your cash drawer is serial - then it connects to the COM port (serial port) on your computer.

However we strongly support the use of NON-serial devices as their serial counterparts cause nothing but trouble.

[bobabi]

I ordered a new cash drawer with a serial interface. I hooked it up and on the first try it opened with the following code in an Excel VB program initiated by a command button. The drawer is an MMF ....

Open "COM1:9600,n,8,1" For Output as #10
Print #10, "A"
Close #10

You mentioned issues with serial interface drawers...can you elaborate? Since I am writing the code myself I have control over when it opens. I plan on adding a few simple functions to open and close the drawer for a day and record cash counts to assist with reconciliation. Hopefully the issues you have experienced are software related ... not hardware.

[Dale Harris]

I write my software in QickBASIC 7.1 and versions of Windows after Win '98 will not let QB access the serial port.

You should not have any problems with the serial port in VisualBASIC