In our conversations with retailers about Point-of-sale (POS) system test automation, the primary focuses are understandably the Register and the Pin Pad. These are the core components that customers concentrate on. The discussions frequently evolve to discuss the full POS system, including scanners, receipt printers and cash drawers. We have developed solutions for each of these elements, in this article we will discuss cash drawers.
In our conversations with retailers about POS system test automation, the primary focuses are understandably the Register and the Pin Pad. These are the core components that customers concentrate on. The discussions frequently evolve to discuss the full POS system, including scanners, receipt printers and cash drawers. We have developed solutions for each of these elements, in this article we will discuss cash drawers.
The task of creating an automation solution for a Cash Drawer seems to be a relatively simple task on the face of it, as the solution only really needs to do two things:
Detect whether the Cash Drawer is open or closed.
Close the drawer if it is open.
When work began on our first concept, we saw that more needed to be taken into consideration. Cash drawers are easy for humans to push closed; however, the springs used are quite strong, and the closing action requires more force than other actions we have automated, such as pressing Pin Pad keys. To accomplish the task, we needed to use motors with a higher power rating than those we’ve used before.
Once we’d overcome these challenges, we had our first model: it mounted onto the drawer in place of one of the feet, had a strong motor and an inductive sensor to detect the drawer when it was open. Using this, in addition to a suite of other robots and automation software from us, our customer was able to seamlessly introduce cash payments to their automated testing schedules, as well as testing the functionality of the hardware itself.
Another challenge for many retailers, and for us, is that many retailers use several unique models of cash drawers in different stores, which could mean that a solution that would fit one may not fit another. This was the case recently when we were called on to produce an option that could be taken off one drawer model and affixed to another quickly. To solve this, we have developed a new, more universal solution that centres around clamping a frame around the cash drawer to keep it in place and an adjustable servo to push the drawer closed.
The Cash Drawer solution provides the capability to perform all actions necessary during a payment test cycle, with the capability to configure it for use with any cash drawer model. With this solution, Retailers can include this important part of the POS chain in their testing, speeding up their testing and reducing bottlenecks. If you are considering introducing a cash drawer solution to your automated testing capabilities, or if another aspect or device poses a challenge, please get in touch with us.
Contact us
Please get in touch if you need support with automated payment testing solutions, and our sales team would be happy to discuss this with you. Contact us on:
+44 1707 906177 or sales@intelliqa.com
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