This installation article covers installation on all types of vending machines, including Vendrite machines.
The vending machine MUST support the MDB (Multi-Drop Bus) interface, which most machines do.
One way to tell is to check the machine to see if it has a harness with a 6-pin plug on it (2 by 3 pin formation) like either one of these:
MDB male
MDB female
Required parts
MDB Cable Harness
MDB Card Reader
Note: this is a specialized reader that will say MDB on the sticker on the back of the reader board itself:
Installation Steps
Step 1: Turn Machine Power Off
Step 2: Number the reader using the DIP switch on the back of the reader
Switch #1 does not have any effect for vending machine readers.
Use switches 2-7 to number the reader, just like for washer/dryer readers.
For example, with the configuration below, the reader will appear as SOAP1.
If you have multiple vending machines, just continue to number them in increasing order:
If the location has more than 5 vending machine readers
see our article: Reader DIP Switch settings for additional reader numbers
Step 3: Connect the MDB harnesses
Connect the MDB connector from the reader's harness to mating MDB connector on the vending machine's cable harness.
The MDB connector is a 6-position connector that looks like this:
Step 4: Mount the reader
The mounting will differ depending on the machine.
Normally, no drilling should be required.
Step 5: Power on the machine and Activate the reader
Use the provided Activation card to activate the reader:
Step 6: Configure display
By default, the reader will display "Soap Machine" on its LCD display. You can change this to display "Snack Machine". Use the Portal. click the wrench icon of the reader and change the Control Type to Snack Vending.
Setting Vend Prices
Vend prices for the various products are set on the vending machine itself;
the reader does NOT control any prices. It will reflect the price that is programmed on the vending machine itself for the selected product.
Troubleshooting
Below are problems commonly encountered during installation of readers on these dryers. For more general reader troubleshooting, see Reader Support
Issue | Explanation and resolution |
Reader says No Comm with MDB machine | There's no serial communication with the machine over the MDB interface. Try rebooting power to the machine. Some vending machines have multiple MDB connectors; try using one of the other 6-PIN MDB connectors if the first one you tired did not work. Power cycle the machine after changing the MDB connector you are using to see if that clears the no comm error. |