CMS is a Windows-based application for configuring certain parts of the system. It is targeted at and provided to laundry route operators.

The Laundroworks system comes with six different System cards, a USB card reader, and a Windows software application called Card Management Software (CMS). These tools allows the operator to perform certain management functions such as setting machine cycle prices, running free wash/dry cycles to test equipment, and writing a balance to a user card directly. This document describes the various system cards and is the user guide to the CMS software.

This target audience of this document is anyone who operates or manages the card system.

The CMS (Card Management Software) is a Windows-based application that is used for certain management functions of the Laundroworks card system. It works together with the USB card reader.

1. Install the driver for the USB card reader. This driver may have been provided by Mitech. It can always be downloaded from here:USB Card reader driver

1. Obtain from Mitech the CMS application from Mitech and copy it to a folder of your choice on your computer (the application does not have an installer)

The first-time user should login with the Username “Administrator”. The administrator password should be provided by Mitech. You may have also been supplied with a login/password by Mitech.

The administrator can add new users.

Access “Read Only” means that the user can neither write information to any of the cards nor save any configuration to the computer. Access “Process Data” gives the user full privileges.

Once the application is launched and the user is logged-in, the application will automatically attempt to connect to the USB card reader. The log window should discover the port and report “Success..port #…”.

Contact Mitech if the application has trouble opening the communication port and is not reporting Success.

Every operational location, defined as a set of Machine Card Units and a Value Add Center (typically in one physical location) is associated with a unique 7-digit number called the location ID. The location ID is what prevents users and unauthorized operators from using the same card at different locations (e.g loading money in one location and using the card in another). The location ID is also what differentiates locations for system management purposes. All activated readers and VACs contain a location ID. Also, every card that works with the Laundroworks system, including theuser card and every system card, contains a location ID.

New user cards are assigned a location ID automatically by the VAC the first time that they are used. Therefore it is not necessary for the operator to manually assign location IDs to each user card. However after this event, if it is desired to reassign the user card to a different location, the operator must use the CMS software to write a different location ID to the card.

Most system cards are also assigned a location ID. However for the system cards, the operator may from time to time choose to assign different location IDs using the CMS software by the operator. The location ID should correspond to the location on which the system card must is to be operated. The location ID of the readers and VACs is assigned using an Activation card, although in many cases (Laundromats, small scale-operations) Mitech will have already assigned the location IDs to the hardware prior to delivery.

The management of location IDs is done in CMS using the Locations tab. This tab allows you to add/remove/modify location IDs so that you can assign the location IDs to various cards (user cards and system cards). You must have at least one location in this list.

There are seven different types of cards that work with the system: the User card, which is the basic card for doing laundry by the end user, and six different systems cards which are used for management purposes. The system cards are: Activation card, Deactivation card, Price card, Service card, Collection card, and Manual-mode card. To read from/write to any of the cards using the USB card reader and CMS software, place any of the service cards or a user on the USB card reader. The CMS software will switch to the appropriate tab (e.g if you place a price card, it will switch to the Price Card tab)

The user card is basic end user laundry card. The CMS software allows the operator to read the card’s balance and write a card balance onto the card.

Reading balance

Simply place a user card on the card reader. The application will automatically switch to the User card tab. The balance will be displayed in the “Money balance” field when the card is placed.

Writing a new balance

Place the card on the reader. The application will automatically switch to the User card tab. Enter the new balance (such as 5.00) into the Money Balance field and press Write.

Note if this is new card, it is not tied to a location yet; you need to select the correct location using » button before pressing Write

Note: If this a brand new card, you will have to assign a Location ID to the card. Do this by selecting the button and choosing the appropriate location from the list. This is shown below:

You can also re-assign a card’s existing location ID using this dialog.

The price card is used to set the washer/dryer vend prices and, in certain cases, also the cycle times. The general procedure to set the prices/cycles times is to use the CMS software to write the desired values to the Price card and then use the Price card to transfer these values to the reader, just by placing the card onto the reader.

However, the specifics vary from machine to machine. The following describes how to set prices/cycle times for various machines.

In this case, the reader controls all prices. You do not need to set any price-related settings in the actual machine. Enter the Multi-price mode in the Price card tab. Enter all prices in the dollars.cents format. All fields much be filled out.

In this case, the reader controls all prices. You do not need to set any price-related settings in the actual machine.Enter the advanced multi-price model in the Price card tab. Enter all prices in the dollars.cents format. All fields much be filled out.

Use the Single-Price mode menu as shown below.

The Washer price field has the format Price/Notification time. For example: 2.00/35 sets the washer price to $2 and the notification time to 35 minutes. Note: the actual washer cycle time is set separately inside of the actual machine; the Notification time field should match whatever cycle time setting is inside of the machine. The Notification time is used simply for an internal counter to that the reader knows when the cycle is finished so that it can notify the web-server.

The dryer has no concept of Top-off. The Dryer price field is just the dryer price. Set the Top off price field to 0. The Top off time field has the format 00/Notification time. The Notification time plays the exact same role as it does in the washer.

In the Price card tab, enter the Single price mode as shown below.

Enter the desired price for Washer price in the format dollars.cents (e.g 2.00). The wash time is configured through the machine, not through the card reader. In general, the dryers on Pulse or Hybrid can operate in one three modes. You must know which of these three modes your actual dryer operates (or is able to operate) in.

• Base price, no top-off

In this mode, the user starts the base dryer cycle exactly like the washer by paying some base price, such as 2.00. The user is unable to add any top-off minutes after the dryer has started. For this mode, enter the desired dryer price (for the base cycle) and enter 0 for both the top-off price and top-off time. The base dry time is configured through the machine, not through the card reader.

• Base price, with top-off

In this mode, the user starts the base dryer cycle exactly like the washer by paying some base prices, such as 2.00. However the user can top-off the dryer (add some small amount of minutes, after the dryer has started) by presenting his/her laundry card. For this mode, enter the desired dryer price (for the base cycle), the top-off price (for the top-off cycle), and enter the top-off time. Note that for top-off time you must use two digits (e.g for 7 mins, enter 07). The base dry time is configured through the machine, not through the card reader.

• Cumulative

In this mode, there is no base price per say. The user simply presents the card to add some amount of time to the dry time. The dryer will start the first time that the user presents the card. The user can keep presenting the card to add minutes. For this mode, the Base price and Top-off price fields should be the exactly same value. The top-off time represents the amount of time to be added each time the card is presented. Note that for top-off time you must use two digits (e.g for 7 mins, enter 07).

The following is a sample of settings for creating a Price card which is compatible with dryers operating in the Cumulative mode. In this case each time the user presents his/her laundry card, $0.45 would be debited and 7 minutes added to the dry cycle.

After you have configured your prices and place the Price card on the reader, simply press Write. You can then apply the price card to the readers to set the prices.

The service card serves multiple functions, outlined below:

• Starting machines for free

The service card can be used to start machines without having to be re-loaded (e.g it does not have a concept of a balance). Operators or technicians can use the card to test newly installed machines or troubleshoot existing machines.

The LaundroPortal will received an reader record with the text “ServiceCard” whenever the service card is used to start a machine.

• Verifying settings and revisions

When presented the card is presented to the reader or VAC, the display will show the Location ID, firmware revision, and cycle cost.

• Verifying the Bill acceptor

Since the service card does not have the concept of balance, it can be used to verify the bill acceptor without the operator having to worry about exceeding maximum card limits. Simply place card and insert a bill to check for jams or other malfunctions.

• Verifying the Card Dispenser

When the service card is presented to the VAC, the technician can press the “New Card” button to test the ejection of a card.

The service card has an associated expiry date, after which it will not function. You can set and write a new expiry date in the Service card tab of the CMS.

This card is used to activate deactivated readers and VACs with security information and identification information, in particular - the Location ID. For Laundromats and small-scale deployments, Mitech may already provide all equipment in an activated stated. If this is the case, then this card is unnecessary to you. Typically the activation/deactivation of equipment is necessary in dynamic circumstances when Laundroworks equipment is moved from one location to another and/or the location IDs needs to be changed.

The activation card works on deactivated equipment, so ensure to deactivate the equipment using the deactivation card before proceeding with activation.

The activation card contains a location ID which will be transferred to the equipment when the activation card is applied. You can write the desired location ID to the activation card using CMS. To do this, first ensure that the location ID exists in CMS. If it does not, simply add it using the Locations tab. To write a Location ID to the activation card, simply place an activation card onto the USB card reader (the CMS should automatically open the Activation card tab), select the desired location ID and press Write. For example, in the following screenshot, I would be writing location ID 0006109 to activation card after pressing Write:

Then simply apply the activation card to the equipment.

You will need to do this for every location you want to activate.

This card deactivates readers and VACs. To deactivate activated equipment, you first need to write the location ID information (which matches the equipment you want to deactivate) to the deactivation card. This process is almost identical to the one for the activation card: from the Deactivation tab in CMS, choose the Location ID which should be written to the card and press Write.

To deactivate the VAC, you first need to move the Override switch on the main VAC controller board such that the LED turns on (this is a pre-cautionary feature). Then simply present the card to VAC card reader.For reader deactivation, you may simply present the deactivation card.

The collection card is used for tracking VAC cash collections (only applicable to VACs that have a bill acceptor). The collection card simply sends a “Collection” VAC transaction to the LaundroPortal, providing a marker so that the LaundroPortal can calculate the amount of cash inserted in between any two “Collection” transactions. The calculated is presumably then the amount of cash that is withdrawn from the VAC. Therefore, if the owner wishes to track cash collections, the collector must present the Collection card to the VAC whenever cash is withdrawn from the VAC. See the help for the Collection Report in the Laundroworks manual for extra details.

Manual-mode is a special programming mode present on certain Speed-queen and Huebsch machines. This card simply allows the operator to put the machine into this mode (one useful function enabled by this mode is rapid-advance which allows the operator to cancel a cycle. The operator should consult the machine manual)