Upstate Networks Inc, the leader in PC controlled vending since 1994 is proud to announce its newest product line. The PLUM(tm) offers unattended payment system hardware integration for the Raspberry PI Linux embedded controller.
PLUM OUT(tm)
The PLUM-OUT(tm) is a piece of hardware known as a “Hat” (Hardware Attached on Top) which is used in conjunction with a Raspberry Pi with Raspbian OS. This allows a Raspberry Pi to act as a cashless device when combined with any multi-drop bus (MDB) vending product. The Raspberry Pi and PLUM OUT Hat are installed as a slave device for an already existing vending machine controller (VMC). This allows the Raspberry Pi to handle the functions normally controlled by the VMC such as beginning or ending a session as well as accepting or rejecting a session. With the raspberry Pi connected to the internet, a remote client can be used to replace the vending machine controller and perform all of its functions.
PLUM IN(tm)
The PLUM IN(tm) is a device known as a “Hat” which is used in conjunction with a Raspberry Pi to interface the vending machine protocol(MDB) used by various devices including: Dollar Bill Validators, Coin Acceptors, Coin Dispensers, Smart Cards, Foreign Currency, etc. This allows the Raspberry Pi to handle incoming funds and can be used to store them electronically in the cloud when connected to the internet or to another local client.
PLUM Picker(tm)
The PLUM Picker(tm) is a Raspberry Pi Hat which controls the item selection process. When the PLUM IN is used in conjunction with a Raspberry Pi, the hardware keypad can be replaced with a touch screen to handle the item selection process. With the Raspberry Pi connected to the internet, the PLUM Picker can be used as an interface between a vending machine and the cloud to enable the use of a cell phone or a remote client as a selection device.
