Dexter A-series washers

Dexter A-series washers

This article covers installation of readers on Dexter A-series washers (WCAD or WVCD models). The readers use pulse control.

This guide is for the current production reader kits for Dexter A-series. These readers use the Generic Relay (ASSY-02-02-11) board and a high-voltage sensor.
If you're replacing a reader for an existing A-series washer, check to ensure that the reader board inside the reader says "Generic Relay" on it, and that you have a High Voltage sensor installed.
Do NOT use this guide if your reader board says "Dexter A" on it - which is the older production reader for A-series machines.


Required parts

  1. Reader (model CR-11-126-02). The board inside the reader must be "Generic Relay"
  2. Cable harness
  3. 12V power supply
  4. High Voltage sensor
  5. Splicers
  6. Coin-drop block-out plates

Installation Steps

Step 1: Turn Machine Power Off


Step 2: Remove coin-box

Removing the coin-box is only necessary for Card Only installs.
If you are installing the reader in a Hybrid Coin+Card configuration, the coin-box will still be needed.

Step 3: Number the reader using the DIP switch

See our: Reader DIP Switch settings article for how to set the dip switches
These dip switches are used to tell the reader what type of machine it's connected to, and what machine number to display

Step 4: Start Signal Connector 

Connect the reader's Start Signal connector to P2 on the machine's control board.
This connection is used by the reader to send the start pulse to the machine:




Note: For Hybrid Coin+Card Installations (Start Signal Wiring)
If you are installing our readers in a hybrid configuration, you will NOT be removing the coin-box.
On Hybrid installs, the reader will need to be mounted elsewhere on the machine (drilling required)
and both the coin drop, and card reader, will need to be connected to the machine's P2 header.

The P2 connection on the machine has 4 PINs:
2 of these PINs are for Coin1's settings on the machine
2 of these PINs are for Coin2's settings on the machine:


You will need to connect the Coin Drop to Coin1's PINs, and the Card Reader to Coin2's PINs.
You can use the Y-Cable that came with your card reader kit to make these connections:


Step 5: Busy sensing - High Voltage sensor

This reader MUST use a High Voltage Sensor device in order to receive a busy signal from the machine.
Do NOT connect the reader's door sensing wires directly to the machine without using a HV Sensor!

The High Voltage sensor is used to determine the running state of the machine.
Splice the two red wires across the Door Lock Solenoid
(it doesn't matter which wire gets connected to each side of the solenoid, just make sure 1 red wire is connected to either side of the solenoid).

High Voltage sensor: 


Door lock solenoid:


Reader Harness Connection:


Step 6: Power

Connect the AC side of the 12V power supply to 110Vac inside the machine. 

Step 7: Mount the Reader

Mount the reader to the coin-box vault. Use a coin-drop block-out plate to cover up the coin-drop hole. (Card only installation)

For Hybrid Coin+Card Installations, you will need to find a spot on the machine to mount the reader (drilling will be required)

Step 8: Activate Reader      

Use the provided Activation card to activate the reader:

Setting Vend Prices

Set vend prices on the Portal.   See  Vend Prices  article for general instructions on configuring vend prices.

The reader only sends ONE pulse to the machine.
Therefore, you will need to set the value of a single pulse to meet the vend price set on the machine itself.
Usually this means either setting the price of the machine to $0.25 so that it starts from 1 pulse.
OR changing the value of Coin1, on the machine itself, to match the full vend price of the machine.
See the Troubleshooting section if you're having trouble with this.

For A-series models, you can additionally enable the Super Cycle option.
The way it works is that after making payment for the base cycle, the customer has 30 seconds to present the card again to make additional payment for the Super Cycle option.
To enable this, first enable the Super Cycle on the washing machine itself. Then set the Supercycle cost (in the reader settings from the Portal) to a non-zero value which you want to charge for the Super Cycle.
Then set the Supercycle time (in the reader settings on the Portal) to approximately match the additional time the washer adds to the cycle when the Super Cycle is activated:



Troubleshooting

Below are problems commonly encountered during installation of readers on A-series Dexter machines. For more general reader troubleshooting, see  Reader Support Process

Issue
Explanation and resolution
Reader taking money but machine doesn't start

Reader may say also "Waiting to Start"
The reader will only sends ONE pulse to the machine, so ensure that the machine is configured to start off of one pulse. 

If the machine is only deducting 25cents from its displayed vend price, when a laundry card is used, then we know it is registering the pulse, but only as 25cents.
Therefore, inside the MACHINE's configuration settings, you can either:

1) Change the value of one pulse to be equal to the vend price setting in the machine, or
2) Change the vend price of the machine cycle to $0.25 or $0.01.

In either case, the one pulse from the reader would satisfy the machine's vend price and it should trigger the machine to start it's cycle. 

For Hybrid Coin+Card Installations, you'll need to leave Coin1's value as $0.25 so coin prices are not affected; but you'll need to change the value of Coin2 so that it equals the full vend price of this machine so that it will start from the 1 pulse it receives from the card reader

Reader display showing "BUSY" but machine not running

or

Reader NOT displaying BUSY after washer started

This likely means that the High Voltage Sensor is not properly connect across the door lock solenoid.

Review Step 5 of this article to confirm you have the HV Sensor connected correctly
Reader does not allow for additional payment for run the Super Cycle Option
First ensure that the super cycle/extended wash cycle has been enabled on the machine itself.

Confirm that you have the Coin1 Value (or Coin2 Value if this is a hybrid install) set to the exact vend price of the machine.

Then check to make sure that once the machine is started, the reader's display changes. If the reader's display still says "waiting to start", after the machine has already started, then the reader is not receiving a busy signal from the machine, and therefore doesn't know when to prompt for the extra payment




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