How Do Vending Machines Know What Kind Of Paper Bill I’m Putting In The Machine?
7 Responses to “How Do Vending Machines Know What Kind Of Paper Bill I’m Putting In The Machine?”
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November 30th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
That’s a cool question!
The first generation of machines used a magnetic head, like those in audio cassette players, to read the ink on a dollar bill.
Newer magnetic readers float above the surface of the bill and can distinguish between copier ink and Treasury ink by measuring not just the magnetic field but the pattern of magnetic particles within the ink, which serve as a sort of fingerprint.
These devices also analyze the shadows cast by various parts of a bill. Each sensor focuses on specific spots in a narrow swath of the bill as it passes by. (Precisely which parts of the bill are looked at cannot be revealed so as not to abet counterfeiters.)
November 30th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Magnetic Strip
If you are using a Sterling note, you can see the strip across the side where the silver lines are.
The same for euros
The dollar has the same, but it is just not as visible as the others.
You will find if you hold the note up to the light you will most likely be able to pick out where the magnetic strip is.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
scans the number on the bill. at least it used to, cause you could put a $2.00 bill in a poker machine, and it would read as a $20 until they figured out what we were doing! LOL…
November 30th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I believe there is a little magnetic strip in every bill, differing per amount of bill.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:28 am
There’s an electronic strip in the bill that tells the machine how much it’s worth
December 1st, 2009 at 6:00 am
There’s a little “dollar identification monkey” in there. Clever little fellas.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:31 am
Visual recognition.