Programmable timed coin acceptor

Set made up of an electronic board (solder-it-yourself kit) and a programmable electronic coin acceptor. It gives timed access to paid services such as games, showers, hair dryers and dispensers of all kinds, through a coin counter and a display interface. The board is run by a specially programmed Microchip PIC18F46K20 microcontroller and carries an 8-character, two-line LCD, 3 pushbuttons, a 4-way dip-switch and a configuration jumper. The board also reads the state of the open-collector outputs on the coin acceptor and switches the two on-board relays accordingly; in short, it is the interface between the user and the coin acceptor. The kit also includes the GETTON1 coin acceptor

The 4-way dipswitch sets: coin accumulation, end-of-credit buzzer, anti black-out function.

• Coin accumulation: when enabled, this lets you insert more coins to add to the timer; when disabled, once a coin has been inserted you have to wait for the set time to run out before inserting another, otherwise whatever is put in is rejected by the coin acceptor and produces no pulse on the open-collector outputs.
• Buzzer function: when active it gives an audible warning below the time set in the menu, so as to warn the user that the service is about to run out. The warning beeps once a second and uses the “O1S” output, to which any kind of warning device can be connected, as long as it suits the ratings of the relay output supplied.
• Anti black-out function: when active it saves the time count-down to memory, so that if the mains power fails, the user does not lose the credit and can go on using it straight away when the mains voltage comes back.

Jumper JPR selects the operating mode; closed, it enables programming mode, while open it selects normal operation.

• With the jumper closed, pressing button P1 gives access to the clock setting, which is not essential but can be handy on some installations. Still with the jumper closed, pressing button P3 lets you set the lead time of the buzzer and all
  the timers of each group. The first setting to make is the buzzer time (between 10 seconds and 50 seconds). To change the value press P1 or P2 to decrease or increase what is shown, while pressing P3 confirms the setting and moves on to the next one, that is the timer for group 1. Each timer is set, in order, for the hours, the minutes and the seconds. You move from one to the next by confirming the setting, so after confirming the hours you go to the minutes and then to the seconds. Once the 6 timers are set, everything is ready to use.

The control board also carries other connectors and jumpers that can come in useful. For example jumper JPO1, or JPO1S, brings 12V (tapped before the supply protection diode) straight to contact “C” of the relay, so a load that runs on 12V can be
connected directly between the supply ground and the “N.O.” contact, where the 12V appears when the relay is energised. Jumper JOUTV always works with connector CNOUT, and selects whether 5V or 12V is brought to the +V pin of CNOUT.

Once the settings have been made, jumper JPR can be opened so the user cannot get into the settings by accident.

• Output relays: 2 (RL1 and RL2) – they switch on the service paid for by the amount put into the coin acceptor.
  – RL1 drives an audible or other warning as the available time runs low
  – RL2 pulses at a 1s/1s rate towards the end of the available period to signal that it is running out, starting from the time you set.
• Coins recognised: €0.01 / €0.02 / €0.05 / €0.10 / €0.20 / €0.50 / €1.0 / €2.0
• Functions: Anti black-out, Pause, Credit accumulation, Count-down display, Buzzer output,

You can print the case on your own 3D printer using the STL files supplied, or you can order it, choosing the material and the colour from the options available.

Please note: printing takes 2 days, so the order will be shipped as soon as the printed part is ready.

• STL files to 3D print the enclosure
• Click here to read the full article published in Elettronica In no. 222 – February 2018