Specifications

5
INDICATOR LED
The red Indicator LED is located on top of the front face of the coin hopper, to the left of the main connector (refer to Figure
4). This LED serves as a constant indicator as to the current status of the changer, and can be used for troubleshooting. The
following explains how to interpret the blinking of the Indicator LED:
♦ Slow (once every 7 seconds)
: A slow blink is the “heartbeat” indicator. This signifies that the changer is in Sleep Mode,
and is operating normally, waiting for a bill to enter the validator and “wake up” the changer.
♦ Fast (once per second)
: A fast blink indicates an error has occurred, and the changer is out of service. In this state, the
validator will not accept bills. The two causes for this error code are as follows:
1. Low Coins – There are not enough coins left in the hopper to make contact with the two gold-colored metal
plates at the bottom of the coin bin. Once the hopper is refilled, the error will automatically be cleared.
2. Payout Error – An error of some sort, whether it is a coin jam, a mechanical or electronics failure, or similar,
has caused the hopper to mispay. Empty the hopper manually (not with the Dump feature), and inspect for a
coin jam or foreign object in the hopper. If nothing is found, disconnect and reconnect power at the battery, and
test the changer; the hopper may have failed.
♦ No Blink
: When the LED is not blinking at all, there is a power issue. The battery may be completely discharged. Check
the battery voltage using a Voltmeter; it must be above 10.5V for the changer to remain operational. If it is low, charge
the battery immediately (refer to the “Charging the Battery” section of this manual). If the battery is charged, check if the
Hopper Harness (P/N: AC400.1-H/NG) is damaged or discontinuous in any way, and inspect the fuse. The fuse is
located in the harness on top of the battery, in the red wire between the white two-position connector and the battery
terminal (harness P/N: AC400.11-H).
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
System Description:
The AC401 is a bill changer that accepts dollar bills and dispenses four quarters, in its standard configuration. It is also
programmable for various other coin/token payouts (Please contact American Changer with any inquiries).
Inside of the changer is a 12-Volt Sealed Lead-Acid (SLA) battery that powers the AC401’s complete operation. The battery
is connected through the Hopper Harness (P/N: AC400.1-H/NG) to the changer’s main logic controller board, which is
located inside the hopper. Also part of the changer is a 12-Volt bill validator that accepts $1 & $5 bills (only $1’s by default),
and the 12-Volt coin hopper that dispenses any coin or token within the size ranges detailed in the “Filling the Coin Hopper”
section of this manual.
A typical changing operation begins with a bill being inserted into the front of the bill validator. The changer is “awakened”,
and then the bill acceptor pulls the bill in, and examines it for authenticity. Once the bill has been “validated”, or deemed
genuine, it will then be pulled all the way into the machine. If the validator has a stacker, the bill will be pushed inside of it.
Stackerless models will eject the bills into the cabinet, where they should fall directly into the Bill Box. At this point, the
validator communicates to the Logic Board, via electronic pulses, the denomination of bill that was accepted. The Logic
Board reads the pulses, credits the money to its running total on the Bill Meter, and then turns on the coin hopper. The coin
hopper immediately begins to dispense coins, with the count being monitored by the Logic Board. When the correct number
of coins has been paid out of the hopper, according to the Logic Board’s programming, the hopper is turned off. If no bill is
again entering the front of the validator, the changer will then reenter Sleep Mode. This completes the changing operation.
Power Management:
The AC401 has two modes of operation with respect to its power usage, Standby and Sleep. Sleep Mode is the mode the
changer is in when there is no changing operation taking place, and the unit is “waiting” for a bill to be inserted into the
validator. During Sleep mode, power to the bill validator and the coin hopper is turned OFF, in order to conserve the battery.
Only one part of the system is ON and running, and that is the Main Logic Board, located inside the hopper, which controls
power distribution to the aforementioned peripherals.
Connected to the Main Logic Board, and also ON during Sleep mode, is an infrared optical sensor. Mounted on the inside of
the validator’s front bezel, the sensor is used to “wake up” the machine out of Sleep mode and bring it into Standby mode. A
bill being inserted into the validator first passes directly in front of the optical sensor, and immediately the electronics enter