Preh mc12 User Guide

configured to simulate the keyboard-entered data stream by adding

terminating characters and special preamble and/or postamble

character strings to scanned data.

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The MiniMag reader is connected between the keyboard input port

of the host computer and the keyboard itself using a “Y” adapter

cable.

The “Y” cable has a 5-pin DIN male connector on one end, and a 6-

pin mini-DIN female on the other.

The supplied adapter cable has a 5-pin DIN female connector on

one end, and a 6-pin mini-DIN male connector on the other end. The

adapter cable is used in all installations on one end of the “Y” cable

or the other. This converts the available cable ends for use on either

PS/2-style 6-pin mini-DIN keyboards, or AT-style 5-pin DIN key-

boards.

To connect the reader to the host, turn the power off and disconnect

the keyboard from the computer. Insert the male end of the “Y”

cable into the keyboard port. Then connect the keyboard to the

female end of the “Y” connector. This “wedges” the reader be-

tween the host and the keyboard.

Manually-entered data from the keyboard passes through the unit to

the host, leaving the keyboard fully functional at all times.

Magnetic data “swiped” into the unit is transmitted to the host

keyboard port, where it appears to the host as coming directly from

the keyboard. This makes the reader, as a data source, completely

transparent to the host’s application software. In other words, if it is

expecting data from the keyboard, that same data can be entered via

the MiniMag and make no difference to the host.

Since the host computer’s application software is expecting data to

be input in a particular order and format, the reader’s output can be

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