6 - Operation
ExpressCard 2000| Instant Issuance Card Personalization System | User Installation and Operation Manual
Page 50
6.11.6
About the Card Path / Sequence of Processes
Card stock is fed through the EC2000 along a predetermined path that is always the same, regardless of
the set of operations included in the card processing transaction. The hopper transport picks up a single
stock card either from the manual feed slot or from the card stock hoppers, then this sequence begins:
1)
If the transaction is queued, the EC2000 removes it from the transaction queue.
2)
The EC2000 encodes the magstripe and / or smart card data, if the transaction calls for it.
3)
The EC2000 prints front-side images and text, if the transaction calls for it.
4)
The EC2000 flips the card and prints rear images and text, if the transaction calls for it.
5)
The EC2000 creates rear indented text, if the transaction calls for it.
6)
The EC2000 embosses characters, if the transaction calls for it.
7)
The EC2000 foil tips embossed characters, if the transaction calls for it.
8)
The EC2000 ejects the card into the card output bin.
9)
The EC2000 reports Ready status.
If an unrecoverable error occurs at any point during these steps, the EC2000 will report the error, cancel
the transaction, and attempt to move the stock card to the card rejection bin. See section
for instructions on resuming normal operation after an error.
6.11.7
About the Card Output Bin
During normal operation, successfully processed cards will emerge from the card output bin on the front
panel of the EC2000. For convenience, the card output bin has a storage capacity of 10 cards. See
section
2.2 Introduction to EC2000 Components
for help locating the card output bin.
6.11.8
About the Card Rejection Bin
When errors occur that prevent a card from being processed properly, the partially-processed card will be
redirected to the internal card rejection bin beneath the top access door, where it will be securely stored
until a user with a key or administrator passwords empties the bin. See section
for help locating the card rejection bin. See section
for information about opening the top access door.
6.11.9
About the Manual Feed Slot
The manual feed slot (sometimes called the “exception feed slot” or “hopper 8”) on the front of the
EC2000 can be selected by card personalization software when the user should manually feed a single
stock card or an already-printed card through any combination of processes the EC2000 is capable of
performing (see section
6.11.6 About the Card Path / Sequence of Processes
Examples of situations where the manual feed slot can be useful include:
Producing a “one-off” personalized card from card stock that is not available from the hoppers.
Changing the data encoded on an existing card’s magstripe (for example, the PIN).
One special feature of the manual feed slot is that, in addition to taking flat stock cards, it can also take
stock cards that have already been embossed, which supports changing magstripe data on embossed cards.
If the EC2000 is configured to use the transaction queue (see section
), transactions that target the manual feed slot do not automatically move to the top of the queue.
Instead, the EC2000 will process transactions in order, and when the transaction requiring manual feed
(sometimes called an “exception”) reaches the top of the queue, the EC2000 will pause and flash the light
surrounding the manual feed slot.
