I'm wondering if someone can help me for a new project that I'm working on
I need to create a prototype for coins and bill acceptors connected to application created in Visual Studio C#.
Can any one help me with this, I really apreciate your help
Best Regards
Like, you need to design a bill acceptor?
Or you need to interface an existing bill acceptor to computer?
The first one is a massive task, involving serious mechanical design, in addition to the very challenging task of telling apart bills from non-bills. Similar with coin acceptors. It's a mostly mechanical problem for coins, though.
The second one is simple and straightforward, and the result will work.
You want to build your own bill and coin acceptor???
Do you have any experience with these things? Have you ever worked on or played-around with one?
I've never worked on one, but my gut reaction is - If you are asking a question like this on the Arduino forum, it's way beyond your ability to build one... In my non-expert opinion, it doesn't seem practical to build one even if you have a machine shop in your garage.
Coin mechanisms are mostly mechanical. The ones I've seen might have a small circuit board. Certainly no microcontroller.
On the other hand, I assume a bill scanner needs more intelligence. Somehow, it has to reject a cheap photo copy of a bill.
...connected to application created in Visual Studio C#.
Generally, the coin/bill accepter is completely independent of the software in the machine...
Hello DVDdoug and DrAzzy,
What I want to do is a software in my pc or tablet but conect Coins and Bills acceptor in order to get balance an sell a product.
This is my first time working with arduinos and hardware like coins and bills acceptors , but I'm a .net developer and now i have that challenge?
That answer your questions!!
You haven't answered the key thing we were asking...
Are you building your own bill and coin mechanism? This is a massive project that will take serious metalworking and mechanical skills, to make all the funny little parts, rollers, custom gears, coin chutes, etc.
Or are you interfacing with an off the shelf bill and coin mechanism? This is a reasonable project that shouldn't be that hard to get working. Coin and bill acceptors are available from arcade/pinball part suppliers - they're not cheap (see above - they're hard to make)
Yes I' trying to interfacing with a bill or coin mechanism!!
Ok let me check the suppliers!!
Yeah - once you have your money acceptor, you're pretty much home free; the sketch involved would be simple, and you'd be able to get down to making the program running on the computer, which shouldn't be any problem for you.
The acceptors typically have an incredibly simple interface. It's an output that pulses in response to the bills that are inserted. Usually line per coin slot. Dead simple to interface with - the interface is dumbed way down, because coin doors get switched out, and connections repaired, by people who... well, you've seen the kinda folks who work at arcades.
Ok great, do you have all these equipment? or can you help me where to buy this things.
I think I will need :
1- Coin acceptor
2- Bill acceptor
3- Arduino
4- Driver or software in order to create my visual studio app.
5- cables
Best Regards
1/2 - go to any arcade spare parts vendor. Marco usually sells these (they're my go-to pinball part place), but they're out of stock. These aren't hard to find, lots of people collect arcade games and pinball machines (I've got 2 pins in my living room) - they're not cheap though, like I said; they're the most important part of an arcade game as far as the operator is concerned.
Ebay - any arduino will work for this. I'd be inclined to start on an Uno, and switch to a Nano once that worked.
It will be a serial port, so once the arduino is installed and working, no further drivers needed to get the data out, you use it like you would any other serial port.
Ebay - dupont jumpers may be useful for the design phase, but will likely not hold up in a rough and tumble vending machine/arcade setting - I'd use them while working with the Uno, and then switch to the nano and go to KK100 connector, or directly soldered wires (depends how much it's shaking it has to deal with. I've had one connector that I've swapped both sides of, and it's still dodgy as hell because it's right next to the kickout and gets tons of vibration; next time I'm just gonna solder the wires on). Normal wire is available from ebay, hardware stores, or anywhere else.