Why won't this swiper work correctly?

September 20, 2006 8:04 PM

i can't get a magtek credit card swiping device (model #21040108) to cooperate with our compaq laptop (model # presario v2000) via an activeX web app.

machine runs windows XP. any ideas would be greatly appreciated. it's for a ticketing application, and both magtek and compaq swear it should work.

posted by Hat Maui to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

What happens when you swipe the card in just a regular notepad window (word wrap off). If the data being sent on one line or two? Anything at all? Have you programmed the swiper manually? I support these as part of a POS app so maybe I can help if you could provide more specifics.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:15 AM on September 21, 2006

I work with the question-asker.

It has been programmed via Magtek support to spit out 2 lines. When a card is swiped in Notepad it gives out 1 LONG line, but divided into chunks.
Should it send to a new line automatically, even in Notepad?

What other specifics can I provide?
posted by blastrid at 2:03 PM on September 21, 2006

The information between the percent mark (%) and the first question mark (?) is track 1, and the information between the semi colon (;) and second question mark (?) is track 2. Depending on what the app is expecting, you may need to program it to throw a carraige return in between track one and track two.

Does the line look similar to this?

%B4003010123456780^DOE/JOHN^0312101100001000000000125000000?;4003010123456780=0312101100001125?

You'll want to program the swiper to put the carraige return here:

%B4003010123456780^DOE/JOHN^0312101100001000000000125000000?
;4003010123456780=0312101100001125?

In 100% of all cases I've worked with, it's one way or the other. Let me know if you need more help with this. I'd be curious to see if that works.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:33 PM on September 21, 2006

I'm not sure if this helps, so ignore if this has nothing to do with your problem or if it's a dumb question, but have you installed the OCX USB drivers? My only experience with Magtek USB card readers is in a custom MS Access program my company developed so excuse my naivete.
posted by Ekim Neems at 7:49 PM on October 5, 2006