Dexter: C-series (washers and dryers)
This article covers installation of readers on Dexter C-series washers and dryers.
The readers use Serial communication, and support advanced features like multi-vend pricing, full-cycle dryer pricing, Plus Cycle (e.g Prewash, Supercycle).
Required parts
- Card Only installation
Card Reader Kit (part #: CR-10-126-28 (Washers)/CR-10-126-02 (Dryers) - Reader Board Type "Generic Serial").
This kit part # includes a special mounting plate that will be installed where the coin-box is removed
or
Hybrid Coin+Card installation
Card Reader Kit (part #: CR-10-151-28 (Washers)/CR-10-155-02 (Dryers) - Reader Board Type "Generic Serial").
This kit part# includes a generic mounting bracket that will need to be custom fitted to the machines - Cable harness (02-06-78) - same harness for Card Only, and Hybrid Coin+Card installs
Installation Steps
Step 1: Turn Machine Power Off
Step 2: Remove coin-box (for Card Only Installs only)
Step 3: Number the reader using the DIP switch
Review our: Reader DIP Switch settings article for details on how to set the Card Reader's Machine Type, and Reader Number.
You need to do this BEFORE installing the Card Readers onto the machines, as accessing the back of the card reader is required.
Note: For STACK DRYERS specifically!!!One reader controls both the upper and lower pockets on the same dryer stack.
The number that you set using the DIP switches will correspond to the lower dryer; the upper dryer will then assume the lower dryer's number +1.
Therefore, whenever numbering readers for stack dryers, you need to SKIP A NUMBER.
e.g. if you have 2 Stack Dryers, if the 1st reader is numbered as Dryer #1, then the next reader needs to be numbered as Dryer #3 (NOT #2):
On the 1st Dryer stack, you will number the reader as Dryer #1 using the DIP switches.
(the reader will then display the lower pocket as Dryer #1, and upper pocket as Dryer #2)
Then when numbering the 2nd Dryer stack, you will number the next reader as Dryer #3 using the DIP switches.
(the reader will then display the lower pocket as #3, and the upper pocket as #4)
Step 4: Signal Connector
Connect the 4-wire connector to a control board header with a label "SERIAL COM".
Example on Washer
Example on Dryer:
Step 5: Power
For washers,
splice the blue/red wires across the two red wires coming from connector P7
For Dryers,
connect the reader's Blue/Red wires across the machine's Black/White wires coming from the 24Vac transformer.
Ideally, modify the reader harness to use female quick-connect connectors and connector to the male connectors coming from the control:
You should NOT be connecting reader power, using the connector with 2 wires to the COIN ACCEPTOR header,
as this could negatively affect the machine's control board.
Step 6: Mount the Reader
For Card Only Installs:
1. Remove coin box if present.
2. Install the machine side mounting bracket (you may need to detach it from the reader first)
3. Mount reader to the machine side bracket using the dome nut at the top
For Hybrid (Coin+Card) Installs:
You will need to drill custom holes in order to mount the card reader to the machine.
The mounting bracket for the Washers will look like this:
The mounting bracket for the Dryers will look like this:
Step 7: Activate Reader
Use the provided Activation card to activate the reader:
Setting Vend Prices
Pricing is entirely controlled by the machines on C Series Dryers
The machine provides the reader with it's pricing table over the serial communication link; so once you set the prices on the Dryers themselves, the machines will automatically update the card readers with the correct prices.
With newer card readers, on C series Washers ONLY,
it's possible to have the card reader control the machine's pricing, via the Laundro Portal.
This will override the pricing set through the machine, so that you can set washer PRICES via the Laundro Portal (wash cycle TIMES still need to be set on the machine itself).
Most new C Series Washer readers will come with this pricing control software preloaded on the readers intended for these machines;
so when these readers are installed, they will automatically change the prices of the machine, to the reader's default price (usually $4), as soon as the card reader is activated.
Pricing control does NOT work on Dexter C series Dryers,
so you'll want to make sure you install the readers, with the pricing control software, on the Washers only.
Dexter C Series Dryer readers will come preloaded with reader Control Type "Dexter Serial [02]":
There are no price settings to control via the Laundro Portal.
Dexter C Series Washer readers will come pre-loaded with reader Control Type "Dexter Cseries Serial with Pricing Control [28]":
C series card readers that are using the Pricing control software, will display price settings that can be controlled via the Laundro Portal.
If the customer is using DexterLive to control the prices of all their machines (Washers and Dryers);
then we recommend setting the Washer readers to also use the default "Dexter Serial [02]" Control Type;
this will ensure that the card reader, and DexterLive, are not fighting for control over the Washer prices.
Regardless if your machine's are in control of the prices, or you're using the Laundro Portal for Washer prices,
we recommend that you still create Machine Groups, via the Laundro Portal, (e.g 60lb washers, 50lb Dryers, etc.) and put the readers into their respective custom groups, as this will allow you to run reports on specific groups of machines, along with utilizing some other features of the Laundro Portal that are dependent on these groups.
For more information about setting up reader Machine Groups, please see our Configuring Vend Prices article (Manage Groups Menu section).
If you need any help with reader Control Types, or updating older Dexter C series Washer readers to be able to use the pricing control software on your washers;
please contact our support team: support@laundroworks.com.
Troubleshooting
Below are problems commonly encountered during installation of readers on C-series Dexter machines.
For more general card reader troubleshooting, see the Card Reader Troubleshoot section of our Help Center
Ensure the Dexter C-series washers/dryers are running recent firmware. Otherwise they may not work correctly with the Laundroworks readers.
If the washers/dryers are models from 2021 or earlier, and if the firmware on them has not been updated since then, you will almost certainly need to update the firmware on those machines before the card reader will operate on them correctly.
| Issue | Explanation and resolution |
| Pricing is out of sync | The price displayed on the card reader is different from the price displayed on the machine. Normally the machine and reader will stay in sync automatically, but this can happen if you recently changed pricing on the machine. At the present time, the reader only grabs the pricing table from the machine periodically, or when the reader is booting up from being powered OFF. So reboot the card reader (this can be done by powering the entire machine OFF and back ON), and when the reader boots back up, it should sync back up with the machine's pricing. |
| Reader not taking money and not starting the machine | If this is an existing/older machine, the most likely cause is out-of-date software on the machine itself. Update the machine's firmware to the latest software. You'll need a computer and USB stick onto which to copy firmware files. The updated machine firmware will come from Dexter |
you see "select cycle". When placing a card to the reader, the reader shows the card balance, but won't start the machine | Update the machine to the latest machine firmware. You'll need a computer and USB stick onto which to copy firmware files. The updated machine firmware will come from Dexter |
Hybrid Coin+Card Install - coins aren't registering the correct values | This can happen if you're using the pricing control software on the Card Reader attached to this machine (Reader Control Type "Dexter Cseries Serial with Pricing Control [28]") This software has a "Left Coin Value" and "Right Coin Value" that need to be set correctly for the coin drop that's installed. So check the reader's Left/Right coin value settings to make sure they are correct (in some cases you may find the values may be swapped around - left coin value is set to $1.00 when it should be $0.25 for example). |
| Laundro Portal displays a "Machine/Serial Communication" error and Card reader displays a "No Comm with Machine" error | This error indicates that the card reader is unable to communicate with the machine's control board. This can only be caused by 1 of 3 things: 1) Issue with card reader 2) Issue with card reader's wiring harness 3) Issue with machine's control board If you have a machine, of the same model, that's working correctly with it's card reader, try doing a reader swap test to see if the issue is the card reader itself. If this reader works on a known working machine, then the reader is not the issue; put the readers back to their original position, and then try swapping just the reader's wiring harness between the same 2 machines. If it's not a reader issue, or a wiring harness issue, then it's an issue with the machine's control board. In most cases, this likely indicates that the firmware running on the Dexter control board needs to be updated to the latest firmware to be able to communicate with the card reader. Below is a link to a video from Dexter that shows how to update the firmware on their Dexter C series machines: Dexter C series firmware update video |
Card Reader displays correctly when machine is at Idle but the card reader powers OFF/reboots whenever the machine's cycle is started | This is usually related to a power issue, it's likely the power wires the reader is using is NOT a constant 24VDC power source. You may be tied into a circuit which only receives constant power when the machine is at idle, but when the machine starts a cycle, it cuts power to these wires temporarily. To correct this issue, you'll need to splice the reader's power wires into a constant 24VDC circuit. It is recommended to get reader power from the machine's 24V transformer directly |
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