www.instrument.com - Monday, May 20, 2013
Printer-friendly version of the page "TM8600"
(URL: http://instrument.com/.html)

TM8600
Time and Attendance, Access Control Terminal


TM8600 Time & Attendance Terminal

Description

The TM8600 industrial data collection terminal fills time and attendance, labor reporting, and access control needs. The cast metal case protects the terminal from the abuse commonly inflicted on time clocks. The ergonomic design of the badge reader clocks people in and out quickly, and the simple keyboards allow people to operate them even with gloved hands. This terminal can operate in stand-alone operation in case of host computer or communication failure.

The TM8600 comes in a drip-proof enclosure with easy wiring access. Standard Intelligent Instrumentation communication cables (TMK906A and TMK925A) quickly connect to mating sockets inside the terminals. The cable exits through the bottom of the terminal, where built-in gaskets protect against water damage. If more protection is required, conduit knock-outs in the bottom of the terminal allow completely tamper-proof installations.#

Different displays and keyboards adapt the TM8600 to different needs. The TM8610 satisfies time and attendance and access control needs. It uses a 1 line, 16 character display that can be read from at least 10 feet away. A simple one-key keyboard allows the user to change the terminal from "clock-in" to "clock-out". The TM8620 and TM8630 both include a numeric keypad ideal for labor tracking applications. The TM8620 includes a display with 2 lines of 16 characters each. Each character is large enough to be seen from at least 8 feet away. The TM8630 includes a display with 2 lines of 40 characters each. This is the same display configuration as Intelligent Instrumentation's TM8501 and TM8701 terminals. Identical transactions can be executed on TM8501, TM8701, and TM8630 terminals.

A built-in badge reader smoothly guides an identification card past either a barcode reader or a magnetic stripe reader, allowing people to quickly execute transactions. Communication to host systems is provided via RS232 or RS422, selected by a simple jumper position change. Terminals can be set to multidropped mode, used for addressing many terminals on one RS422 line. The terminals allow for two auto-ID accessories to be used, for instance, a second barcode device can read work orders and product labels. Optional auxiliary modules connect to parallel printers, RS232 serial devices, digital inputs and outputs, or production machinery. A special relay option allows the terminal to operate automatic doors or alarms with or without an auxiliary module installed.

A piezoelectric beeper provides positive feedback to the operator even in noisy industrial settings. The beeper is loud enough to be heard in noisy industrial environments, while an adjustment dial allows the user to decrease the volume when the terminal is installed in quieter settings. The adjustment dial is accessible from the outside of the terminal, but is recessed into the case bottom for protection.

Peripheral

The TM8600 uses one of three basic types of internal AutoID slot readers. Choose between visible red or an infrared barcode badge reader, or a magnetic stripe badge reader. A second, external barcode scanner can be plugged in directly.

Communications

The TM8600 host communication port provides an RS232 or RS422 interface with the simple selection of a jumper position. The flexible communication protocol allows the terminals to be installed in either point-to-point or multidrop applications. Interactive programming of the terminal's operating parameters includes selection of block or character mode communication. A protected buffered communication mode for critical transactions, such as payroll information, guarantees continued operation and no data loss in case of communication failure.

Auxiliary

Auxiliary modules allow connection of secondary input/output devices to the TM8600. Intelligent Instrumentation's modules allow the connection of parallel printers, RS232 serial devices, counters, and digital I/O. The RS232 port can be used to allow the data collection station access to serial printers, CRTs, scales, and other devices.

Installation Options

The TM8600 has a two-piece enclosure, sealed on the top and sides with an O-ring. Intelligent Instrumentation communication cables (TMK906A and TMK925A) connect to sockets easily accessible inside the enclosure. The cables are routed out of the terminal through notches in the bottom of the enclosure. The cable exits have integral gaskets which are compressed when the back panel is fastened to the front by eight standard phillips-head screws. The back panel includes four mounting holes, which are used to fasten the terminal to a wall, using tamper-proof fasteners if desired. When mounted, only the four mounting bolts are accessible. Where wiring must be protected, conduit knockouts are provided in the bottom of the TM8600 enclosure.

Operation Mode

Five modes of operation adapt the terminal to various applications and software environments. Two modes provide different means of communicating to the terminal, one mode allows terminal setup, another allows troubleshooting, and one mode allows the terminal to continue collecting data in the event of communication failure.

The five modes are as follows:

Setup mode allows the maintenance personnel to establish the terminal operating parameters interactively from the keyboard. Prompts guide the operator through the selection of baud rate, protocol, and other parameters.
In Block mode, terminated blocks of data are transmitted and received by the terminal, allowing operators to compose and correct messages before sending them to the host system. This mode also permits multidropped operation with up to 32 terminals on a single communication line for use in factory floor and other RS422 networks.
Character mode operation is similar to that of a standard CRT. In this mode all entered characters are immediately sent to the host computer; the user selects whether the characters are displayed locally before transmission. The host computer has full control of screen format and of the location of the visible display window. The window and cursor can be scrolled in four directions using relative cursor positioning characters.
Monitor mode provides a useful diagnostic and troubleshooting tool. The TM8600 functions as a simple serial line analyzer, displaying all text and control sequences received on the line. Storage for later review is provided for 48 40-character lines of data. A user-definable Tx string allow the unit to initiate test routines on the host system.
Stand-Alone mode shifts the burden of operator prompting and initial data qualification from the host system to the terminal. In this mode the terminal displays prompts for the operator, accepts data, qualifies the data, and performs actions dependent on the result of the data qualification. Actions include re-prompting, audible feedback, and relay actuation for door opening or alarm sounding. All the actions taken in buffering mode are independent of the host system. When data is collected in buffering mode, it is held until accepted by the host system. In the event of power or host failure, the terminal will retain data for extended periods. A secure data extraction procedure assures all information collected by the TM8600 is delivered to and accepted by the host system.

Command Set

The programmer is given a powerful set of command or Escape sequences with which to control terminal operation. With the exception of communication-related functions, options selected from the keyboard in Setup mode may also be changed by the host computer. All commands supported by Intelligent Instrumentation's on-line terminals are supported by the TM8600.