Technical Note

Magnetic Encoding

2008, 09 I&A System Co., Inc.

In case of Smart Printer installed magnetic option, its possible to encode with variety methods. To do magnetic encoding, user can use one of following methods Smart design program SDK program, Set print driver, Text string.

Smart design program is method which normal users are able to issue card easily. SDK program is one that develops card issuance program by using SDK and issues card, it is for expert. Set print driver is that in case of using window application programs like MS WORD, MS POWER POINT, the method makes it possible to issue card by setting up magnetic encoding information in device driver. Text string is method that issues magnetic card by using text string in application program.

1. Smart design program

In the event of SMART CARD PRINTER, using free smart design is the most common and easiest method that issues card with both encoding and printing.

As following image, in case of issuing card by using smart design program, as clicking option-set magnetic, set up doing both printing and encoding at the same time.

When user clicks set magnetic, the page magnetic setup like the image pops-up.

To set up magnetic, first, select the kind of card among LowCo and HiCo. Next after selecting the option normal in appointed track, input the encoding data and click close. On finishing magnetic setup, insert the card into printer and click file-print, then the card printed and encoded is issued.

About detail information, please refer to Smart Design user manual.

2. SDK program
In case of issuing special card like bank card, time card or etc, its possible to control printer as individual action unit through SDK and then use following functions.

Type Handle

Function Open Device() Close Device() Smart Comm_CardIn() Making printer run.

Remark

Finishing printer operation. Moving card in hopper into printer inside. Releasing card from printer inner to out. Moving card to printing, encoding spot. Reading the information of magnetic card and saving in printer buffer.

Move

Smart Comm_CardOut() SmartComm_Move()

Read

SmartComm_MagReadAction ()

SmartComm_MagGetBuffer()

Loading read magnetic card information as track unit to pc.

SmartComm_MagGetAllBuffe r() SmartComm_MagWriteAction () Write SmartComm_MagSetBuffer()

Loading all read magnetic card information to pc. Writing information in printer buffer on magnetic card Transmitting information writing on magnetic card as track unit to printer.

SmartComm_MagSetAllBuffe r()

Transmitting all information writing on magnetic to printer.

About detail information, please refer to Smart Printer SDK user manual.

3. Set print driver

In case of not using Smart design or SDK, user can make use of one of two methods. The one is using set print driver. If using set print driver, its possible to encode card by using data set up in driver, without reference to whatever the application program is. In this case, user can easily encode magnetic by setting up data in GUI.

To making use of set print driver, user can set up in Properties of I&A SMART Card Printer in Printers and Faxes in control panel page or in file-print page in common application programs. The difference between of two methods is that if changing setup in Printer & Fax, the setup continuously keeps the data up till changing it again and if doing in file-print in common application program, the data is applied to the only the file. Therefore, its much more convenient to use in file-print page.

To use print set up, click file-print in application program like below image, and then print window pops up.

In the print window, with clicking properties, the I&A SMART Card Printer properties window pops up.

In this window, click advanced and then the I&A SMART Card Printer advanced options window pops up.

Like the image, in the section Manual Magnetic Stripe Encoding in the window, after selecting Use, input the appointed data into recoding track and click OK.

When user click OK in print window, both printing and encoding are done at the same time .

About detail information, please refer to Smart Printer SDK user manual.

4. Text string
To do magnetic encoding, not using Smart design program or SDK, user can encode by using Text string. In this case, the magnetic encoding data is defined by making use of defined text string. This defined one is not printed to card but encoded as magnetic data. The text string rule is as following.

~SP:M:H/L:1/2/3:data?
Code ~SP:M : H/L : 1/2/3 : data ? Remark The first text to accept as magnetic encoding. Delimiter. Selecting used magnetic card among (H)iCo and (L)oCo. Delimiter. Selecting the data track done encoding. Delimiter. Inputting the encoded data. End text.

For example, to encode the data 123456789 to track No.1 of LoCo card, user makes use of following string, without reference to pont.

~SP:M:L:1:123456789?
User inputs this string to print driver without blank, the string is encoded by converting the string to magnetic data. In case of encoding many tracks, input the string in next line continuously.

Only, the notice thing is that user has to input in turns. In case of using MS WORD, If user amend the inputted data, when the amended data is transmitted to print driver, it cant probably accept the data because even one string data is separated.

This image is example which encodes the data of No.1 and No.3 track to LoCo card in MS PowerPoint. Input data like below image (dont use cut-and-paste.) and print, then the two string data are not printed to card but encoded to magnetic.