Specifications

10
Functional Description
There are three primary parts inside of the AC401 changer. These are the Bill Validator or Coin Acceptor,
the Battery Hopper, and the Battery. The battery is a 12V Sealed Lead-Acid (SLA) type, and it powers the
changer’s complete operation. The Battery Hopper holds the coins and dispenses them during a
transaction. The Circuit Board that controls the entire machine is also located inside the hopper. The Bill
Validator scans the incoming bills to determine if they are authentic and to identify their denominations.
It can accept $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills, but it will only accept $1s and $5s by default; the rest are
“disabled.” Please refer to the “Bill Validator Configuration” section in this manual to change the bill
acceptance. The Coin Acceptor works the same way by examining the incoming coins for both authenticity
and value. To change the coins that are accepted, please refer to the “Coin Acceptor Configuration”
section in this manual.
AC401
: A typical changing operation begins with a bill being inserted into the Bill Validator. As the bill
enters the validator’s front bezel, a sensor detects it, and the system is powered up. Approximately one
second later, after the validator has finished its internal powering-up procedure, the bill will be drawn into
the acceptor to be examined for authenticity. The power-up procedure is fast enough that a bill should be
able to enter the front bezel, trigger the sensor, and continue uninterrupted straight into the validator for
processing.
Once the bill has been “validated,” or deemed genuine, the validator sends the proper number of
electronic pulses for the denomination accepted to the Battery Hopper. The hopper reads the pulses,
increments the Bill Meter, and then turns on the motor to begin dispensing coins. As they exit, the coins
pass an optical sensor and are counted. When the correct number of coins have been dispensed from the
hopper according to the current payout selection, the motor is turned off. Shortly afterward, if the sensor
in the validator’s front bezel has detected no further bills, the validator will be powered down in order to
prolong battery life.
AC401-COIN: A typical changing operation begins with the Coin Door being lifted. A sensor detects when
this occurs, and the system is powered up. A coin is then inserted into the slot on the front of the machine
to the right of the Coin Door. The coin is directed into the Coin Acceptor, where it is examined for
authenticity and value. If it is deemed genuine, it will be allowed to fall straight down through the
acceptor into the metal Coin Box. If it is either a coin not accepted by the machine or any other “slug” or
foreign object, the Coin Acceptor will divert it through its reject chute to the external Coin Cup for return
to the customer. The power-up procedure is fast enough that a coin inserted immediately after the door is
lifted should be able to be processed properly by the Coin Acceptor.
Once a valid coin has been accepted, the Coin Acceptor sends the proper number of electronic pulses,
according to its denomination, to the Battery Hopper. The hopper reads the pulses, increments the Bill
Meter, and then turns on the motor to begin dispensing coins. As they exit, the coins pass an optical
sensor and are counted. When the correct number of coins have been dispensed from the hopper
according to the current payout selection, the motor is turned off. Shortly afterward, if the Coin Door has
been allowed to reclose, the Coin Acceptor will be powered down in order to prolong battery life.
Error Codes
The red LED located at the top of the front side of the Battery Hopper indicates the changer’s status
through the use of flash codes. While the machine is working properly, the LED Indicator will deliver a
single “heartbeat” flash every 7.5 seconds. When the machine is out-of-service, the LED will flash a
specific number of times in order to indicate the error that occurred. Error Codes are signaled at a rate of
2 flashes per second, and are repeated continually, with a 1.5 second break between repetitions, until
cleared. Please refer to Table 1 for descriptions of all of the LED’s error codes.
Most Error Codes will be cleared automatically, and the machine will return to normal operation once the
error condition is removed. Example: Refilling the hopper while the LOW COINS (2 Flashes) error is
indicated. However, some Error Codes are “latched” by the hopper. To clear these codes, a single press of
the Pushbutton located to the right of the LED is required, in addition to the removal of the error
condition. In Table 1, asterisks (*) denote the Error Codes that require a Pushbutton press for clearing.
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