Thin server extends ATM life - and provides versatile networking ability for many other uses
July 2000
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
SAN People
Some years ago the banking industry revolutionised banking by introducing automatic teller machines(ATM's). Customers could now withdraw and deposit funds without being limited by the banks' hours of business. These ATM's were typically serially connected to the banks pre-ethernet network or in many cases not connected to a computer system at all!
When the banking industry and the Ethernet revolution caught up with each other, Banks faced the dilemma of how to connect their legacy ATM machines into their Ethernet networks. The obvious solution was to place a PC with every ATM, connect the ATM serially to the PC and use a network card on that PC to gain access to the Ethernet network. This solution was not ideal when taking the logistical and financial problems presented by placing a PC with every ATM into account.
SAN People offered a sensible solution to the problem by its development of the EtherPAD range of thin servers. EtherPAD enables the connection of any RS232 serial device, such as an ATM, with an Ethernet network. The EtherPAD is programmed with an IP address, Network Mask and Gateway Address. When the EtherPAD is running, it becomes 'transparent' passing data to and from the serial device to the application. The EtherPAD also contains a web server. The EtherPAD can thus be remotely fully configured using any web browser. Parameters such as serial and application port configuration, Ethernet interface and networking configuration, amongst others can be easily changed from anywhere in the world.
A feature developed especially for the banking industry is the ability of the EtherPAD to connect Burroughs Poll Select (BPS) devices to an Ethernet network. BPS is a reliable protocol involving error checking and retransmission of corrupted data. Data transfer is always initiated by the EtherPAD, which either 'polls' the terminal for data or 'selects' the terminal when the EtherPAD has data to send.
Recently, SAN People added a range of TelePADs to its product family. TelePAD comes in a number of models. These include serial to internal modem, serial to external modem and Ethernet to modem. TelePADs have the following added features. Full support for Hayes AT compatible modem controls, PPP support, dial-in and dial-out as well as dial-out on demand.
What this means is that an ATM, at a remote site without Ethernet connectivity, can still be connected to an Ethernet network. When the ATM wants to make a connection to a remote server on an Ethernet network, it will connect via a TelePAD connected to an external modem (or using the TelePAD internal modem). The TelePAD will dial into a modem connected to the remote network and then establish a TCP connection to the required server. The remote server can also connect to the ATM by using the TelePAD dial-in functionality in the same way.
The Ethernet to modem TelePAD, working back to back is essentially a router, able to connect two networks via a telephone line. The TelePADs will only connect when a host on the local network requires a remote network connection.
EtherPADs and TelePADs can be connected to ATMs at remote sites where it may not be economical to have a permanent network connection (eg via a modem). In this way the ATM will only connect to the network when required to, thus saving line and network costs. Remote maintenance and software upgrades may be done on remote ATMs without having to physically visit them.
Using an EtherPAD to connect a legacy ATM system to an Ethernet network, the life of the ATM is extended by many years with resultant cost savings. EtherPAD is an effective solution removing an expensive, high maintenance item and replacing it with an efficient, tamper-proof device.
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