3.6.1.3 Input Characteristici 3.6.1.3.1 Record Sizes - This information was not available in the reference sources used in preparing this report. 3.6.1.3.2 Character Seta Available - POS equipment designed primarily to capture numeric data. The keyboards of electronic cash registers, credit verifiers, etc., usually are limited to numeric and special function keys. Bar codes such as UPC (Universal Product Code), commonly found on food packages, represent numeric data and are read by fixed or hand-held bar code Scanners (optionally available on some POS systems). 3.6.1.3.3 Special Form Requirementa Forms requirements vary depending on the equipment in making up the POS system. The most common forms required for POS systems are identification/price tags and rolled paper used for printing customer receipts. 3.6.1.4 Output Capabilities - Most of the POS terminals, such as cash registers, provide both visual output and hard Copy printed output. In addition, data is usually either recorded at the station on magnetic tape or punched paper tape, or it is transmitted to the host computer. 3.6.1.5 Edit/Validate Capabilitiea The stand-alone POS terminals have self-contained processors with limited capabilities. They are capable of automatically extending totals, adding sales tax, etc., but they are not capable of Performing meaningful edit or validate routines. Centralized and online systems incorporate minicomputers small business computers. With the processing capabiliti of these computer-based systems, a wide range of edit and validate functions can be performed as data is captured at the POS terminals. or 3.6.2 Options Options available with POS systems include the following: preprinted bar codes These scanners can be The operator (or Bar code scanners which read (such as the UPC code) are available. permanently attached to a surface. conveyor belt) moves items past the window of the scanner and the bar codes are read. They may also be hand-held scanners which are amall portable devices that can be manipulated by the hand of the operator to read preprinted bar codes, used Temporary recording media such as magnetic tape cassettes tes (or cartridges) and paper tape are available. These options are commonly found on POS terminals and for either back-up data data storage storage or for primary collection (when the terminal is not online with the computer). data host devices would be helpful, but training is not usually problem. 3.6.4 Cost Ranges Purchase prices range from approximately $5,000 to over $1,000,000 per complete system, depending on the degree of sophistication and the number of terminals involved. Examples of prices of the three different configurations discussed in section 3.6 are the following: Local recording system $5,100 In-store controlled system (includes $200,000 Remote on-line interactive system $123,500 concentrator but does not include 3.6.5 Ixpical Data Entry Applications - POS systems have been designed for (and are used almost exclusively for) capturing data at the point-of-sale in retail sales establishments. Several large general merchandisers have installed POS systems. Grocery store chains are finding that POS systems increase the productivity of cashiers and provide better sales and inventory data than were available with standard cash registers. 3.6.6 Advantagea and Strong POS systems are designed to minimize key depresssions and maximize throughput. The operator is guided by sequentially lit keys or a message panel to progress through each transaction. If an optical scanner is used to read product codes and/or prices, the number of key depressions is reduced even more. The results are fewer calculation errors, faster checkout time, fewer cashiers required for a given amount of business, and better customer service. Sales receipts to customers are more detailed than those from cash registers. Inventory data is captured at the point-of-sale quickly and accurately. This results in faster re-order actions and better buying decisions. POS systems re capable of automatically verifying the credit status of customers, With the increased use of credit cards, this means less credit losses and faster response to credit approval. 3.6.7 Disadvantagea and and Limitationa · POS systems are expensive. Their use is normally restricted to the larger, high volume type of retail business. Examples are large department stores, fast food restaurants, and supermarkets, One reference source lists the lack of application Software being a disadvantage. This problem should be solved as POS systems gain more popularity and POS vendors broaden their application base. GLOSSARY Acquatic couplar - A modem designed for operation over the public telephone network. A connection is providea between the data terminal and the communications line using a conventional telephone handset. Data to be transmitted is converted from a serial stream of binary digits to • sequence of tones (mark and space frequencies); at the receive end, the tones are converted back into a stream of binary digits corresponding to the original input data. It is connected to data terminal equipment by a cable which generally complies with some standard) e.g., EIA RS-232C. ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange (also known as USASCII). An American National Standard binary coding scheme consisting of 128 seven-bit patterns for printable characters and control of equipment. A180 known as International Alphabet No. 5. Audio answerback - Audio response (which can be in terms of tones or machine-generated speech) normally associated with an inquiry-response system. Baudot - A system of coding for transmission of data In which five bits represent one character. Also known as International Telegraphic Alphabet No. 2. BCD - Binary Coded Decimal. A binary notation in which individual alphanumeric characters are represented by a pattern of four or six bits. Bit The smallest unit of information in the binary number system. It is the abbreviation for "binary digit" where a bit is represented by a one or a zero. These states may turn correspond to conditions within equipment such as on or off, the presence or absence of a voltage or flow current, or a switch contact being open or closed. BPS - Bits per second. Card dialer - A unit that automatically dials telephone numbers by insertion of a plastic card that contain the numbers. It may also be used in a TOUCH-TONE (TM) data system to transmit constant numeric data to a computer. tuba (CRI) Cathode cAY · An electronic vacuum tube containing a screen on which input or output data may be displayed in graphic form or as character images. can be sent; e.g., data entry form. Coding Earm Also called keypunching or the same as, or separate from, the source document. Cursor A movable marker, visible on a CRT display, used to indicate the position at which the next operation (e.g., character) is to insertion, replacement, or erasure of take place. the Document reader - A reader having capability to read documents of less than standard 8.5 x 11 inches letter size. A document reader generally reads one or two 1ines Der document, while "page readers" can read many lines from each document. Dot Matrix - A method of generating characters utilizing matrix of dots, each of which may be independently turned on or off. The combination produces human readable character. An EBCDIC - Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. alphanumeric character code containing upper and lower case characters, and special symbols. EBCDIC is an 8-bit code. Edit - To modify the format of data, including deleting unwanted data, selecting pertinent data, or input. Eant. A set of characters of a given size and style. in Hollerith code A standard 12-channel punched card code which a decimal digit, letter, or special character i represented by one or more rectangular holes punched Cor marks entered) in a vertical column. Impact Printer - An output unit which mechanically prints characters on the page by a fast-action hammer causing contact between the paper and a type slug at the exact moment the required character is in position. lak Jet Printer - A high-speed printer that produces images by discharging tiny droplets of ink in a stream from a row of nozzles. As these droplets are discharged, they pass through electrical fields which induce electrical charges on selected droplets. Those droplets that are not charged will impact the paper while the charged droplets are electrostatically deflected from the stream to be returned to the ink system. Input - (1) The data entered into a computer for processing; (2) The process of entering datal (3) Pertaining to the devices that enter data. Interface - A common boundary between automatic data processing systems or parts of a single system. Lightzoen - A photosensitive device that is used to point to particular element on a display screen. The light-pen |