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Networking Automated Teller Machines
Some years ago the banking industry revolutionised banking by introducing Automatic Teller Machines (ATM's) Customers could now withdraw and deposit funds
without being limited by the Banks hours of business. These ATM's were typically serially connected to the Banks pre- Ethernet network or in many cased not
connected to a computer system at all!
When the banking Industry and the Ethernet revolution caught up with each other, Banks faced the dilemma of how to connect their legacy ATM machines into
their Ethernet Networks. The obvious solution was to place a PC with every ATM, connect the ATM serially to the PC and use a network card on that PC to
gain access to the Ethernet network. This solution was not ideal when taking the logistical and financial problems presented by placing a PC with every
ATM into account.
The SAN People solution
SAN People offered the ideal solution to the problem by their development of the EtherPAD range of thin servers. EtherPAD enables the connection
of any RS232 serial device, such as an ATM, with an Ethernet network. The EtherPAD is programmed with an IP address, Subnet Mask and Gateway
Address compatible with the Ethernet Network it is planned to use the device on. When the EtherPAD is running, it becomes "transparent"
passing data to and from the serial device to the application.
The EtherPAD also contains a Web server. The EtherPAD can thus be remotely fully configured using any commercial Web Browser. Parameters such as
Serial Port Configuration, Ethernet interface and DNS configuration can be easily changed from anywhere in the world.
A feature developed especially for the Banking Industry is the ability of the EtherPAD to connect Burroughs Poll Select (BPS) devices to an Ethernet
network. BPS is a reliable protocol involving error checking and retransmission of bad data. Data transfer is always initiated by the EtherPAD, which
either "polls" the terminal for data or "selects" the terminal when the EtherPAD has data to send.
The EtherPAD can be connected to ATMs at remote sites where it may not be economical to have a permanent network connection (e.g. via a modem). In
this way the ATM will only connect to the network when required to thus saving line and network costs. Remote maintenance and software upgrades may
be done on remote ATMs without having to physically visit them.
Using an EtherPAD to connect a legacy ATM system to an Ethernet network, the life of the ATM is extended by many years with resultant cost savings.
EtherPAD is an effective solution removing an expensive, high maintenance item and replacing it with an efficient, tamper proof device.
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