ATM. Some features

None of us can not be surprised by an ATM (ATM) . Even older people have gradually become accustomed to this device and are able to somehow withdraw their pension. However, among other things - an ATM is an extremely interesting thing from a technical and organizational point of view. Even employees of banking institutions (including those associated with payment cards) do not always imagine the subtleties of his work. In a past life, for many years I was associated with payment cards and ATM services. I've had to warm him up with a hair dryer and pick out from there mouse pieces of gut blood , stuck in an embrace with bills. Even burnt one of the controlled ATMs. Twice. Therefore, I will share some, in my opinion, interesting technical nuances in the work of the ATM.


Unfortunately, the main focus of this activity of mine fell on the period when even a 0.3MP camera on the phone was a lot of luxury - therefore, I have practically no personal photos.
')

40 bills

ATM gives no more than 40 bills at a time. This is due to the feed mechanism itself. Therefore - withdrawing money from an ATM - if it displays “ Available banknotes 50, 200 ” - and you need to withdraw a large amount - you can immediately estimate how much money an ATM can give you. If you try to enter more than 40 banknotes - the ATM thinks and refuses. And you will wonder why.

30 seconds

The response interval for each operation, after the action of the client should be no more than 30 seconds. This is a requirement of international payment systems. The client inserted the card - you can think for 29 seconds and give an answer. Chose the menu item - again you might think. And so on. Previously, when the connection was not very good - it was an important point. Now - this is easier.

White Card Supervisor

Yes - just like that. Comes with every ATM included. Like ordinary cards, it also has a PIN code and expiration date.
May be suitable for other ATMs. I cannot provide detailed details here - by mistake I used the card from one ATM for my other ATM and it worked - it should be so or it works within the same HRC (processing center) - I don’t know. It was necessary to go to the ATM of another bank and check. But there was a reluctance to sit.
So - the card is required to perform the collection / audit of the ATM and some technical functions - you can issue as many bills from the <godmode ON> cassettes, open the dispensing door, blink indicators and displays, etc. Three times incorrectly entered the code on the card - it is blocked until the next day.

Brain

In addition to the "system unit" (let's call it that) in the keyboard of the ATM, in the card reader unit and the display has its own brains. You can not just take and connect the details of one ATM to another. When connecting new devices, it is required to enter 3DES cryptographic keys . They are written to these connected devices and allow them to work with this particular ATM. The keys are 2 envelopes (like PIN envelopes for regular cards) that contain a sequence of numbers. Two people receive an envelope and enter the keys.

Cash cassettes

In an ATM, usually 4-6 cassettes with bills. ~ 2.5 thousand banknotes fit into the cassette. Each cassette is tuned to a specific banknote. Therefore, even if during ATM collection, the cassettes are mixed up in places — still a chip in a cassette — will not allow the issuance of money from there. The reverse side of the medal - if you load fifty dollars into a cassette for twenties - then (with a fair share of luck - if the characteristics of the notes are more or less similar) ATM will start issuing bills of higher denomination. The cashier of the ATM and the head of the cashier can immediately shell out and cover the shortage. Sometimes it happens ...

Cull cassette

Bonded banknotes, banknotes that the ATM doesn’t like for one reason or another, as well as money that you didn’t take from the dispensing slot, are folded back into the reject cassette. In size, it is less than twice the standard.

ATM is cold

Street ATM has 100% waterproof. However, it is sensitive to cold. In the early ATM models there was no “Russian Winter” package of heating elements and therefore when the temperature in the yard fell below 10-15 degrees (frost) - the ATM started to be capricious. Especially true - when the ATM is in the window and its front (inner) part, in fact, also rests on the window and freezes. ATM may not be included at all, because the diagnosis is outraged and requires heat for the ATM (the owner of the note: in order for the ATM to start, you need to blow the temperature sensor at this moment) . The mechanism of issuing money and other charms may not work.

Withdrawn cards

At an ATM, people leave their cards. Sometimes by chance, sometimes by entering the PIN incorrectly three times, sometimes you take the money, the voltage disappears - the ATM turns off and everything seems to be ... further by choice - as much as you can and wait for your card (which is typical when the voltage appears will go outside - and if it is not you - someone will pick it up, if it has time), or you go home, and then take the card to the ATM. For cards, often no one applied. For several years, we have collected a hefty collection of cards from different banks. Including foreign

Old ATMs

In 2002-2004, a lot of used ATMs from Europe / USA were brought to Ukraine. Here they were brought into a divine form, made service and sold to banks. They were about 8-12 times cheaper (5-8 thousand dollars) of new modern ATMs (80-110 thousand dollars) . They worked, frankly, lousy, but because the card business was still in its infancy and revenues were small (ATMs are not set up for their customers, but for others) —new all banks could afford the new ATM in the required volumes. Therefore, they put what is cheaper. The ATM had old CRT monitors with faded emblems of European banks (previous owners) . Kosher operating system for ATM of that time - OS / 2.

ATM safe

It contains cash cassettes and a cull cassette. Represents, as a rule, the safe with a key and a rotary wheel. Wheel code must be changed regularly. It is very unpleasant when, when changing the code and closing the door, you realize that the code does not fit and the safe no longer opens.

Checks

Printers use matrix (old ATM models) and thermal printers. Paper tape for checks - in reels. Usually 2-5 thousand checks on the reel. Matrix problem - difficult to find cartridges. The problem of thermal printers - when it's cold and you heat a cash dispenser - if you get a stream of air on a tape of checks - there will be a black ribbon.

Mouse

Winter. The ATM was located in the bank, but in the far empty room, and his face was outside the window. Coldly. The mouse found a loophole (there are many of them in the ATM - cable connections) and climbed inside to warm up. As a result, the feeder pressed her from the heart. I got there because the ATM stopped working and money stuck out of the rejection cassette. I had to disassemble half of the ATM - in order to get what was left of the mouse and three torn bills. She died the death of the brave, but she was in possession of money.

If the article was interesting - I can continue the topic about bank pieces of iron.

UPD 2014/03/21:
Continued: Card Games

As a bonus:

In 2003, such a used ATM cost UAH 46,740. (8 thousand dollars)