Imonggo can readily work without any extra hardware; however, it still supports receipt printers, cash drawers, magnetic card readers, and barcode scanners. Since Imonggo is a web-based application, its support of hardware is through the browser and operating system.
This article will discuss the compatibility of Imonggo with different hardware.
POS Receipt printers are specialized printers used to print tape receipts. Instead of paper sheets, they use paper rolls, which are more cost-effective. POS printers are also faster than regular printers, printing at an average speed of 8 inches per second.
Most POS printers either use dot-matrix or thermal transfer printing technology. Thermal printers are faster and more cost-effective since they do not require ribbon replacement. On the other hand, dot-matrix printers can print on 2-ply paper. This allows you to keep a duplicate copy of the receipt. Thermal printouts also fade over time or when exposed to heat.
Popular brands of POS printer include Epson, Star Micronics, IBM, Samsung, Ithaca (Transact Technologies), Cognitive, and Citizen.
Imonggo is compatible with any model of printer, provided that the printer comes with an appropriate software driver for your PC and operating system. Imonggo communicates with the printer through the browser and the software driver.
To view sample receipt printers in the market, click here.
Cash Drawer CompatibilityA cash drawer is a compartment underneath a cash register where the cash from transactions is kept. The drawer typically contains a removable till. The till is usually divided into compartments used to store each denomination of bank notes and coins separately to make counting easier.
Imonggo supports cash drawers through POS receipt printers. This means that cash drawers have to be connected to the receipt printers. Through the receipt printer software configuration, you can set up cash drawers to open every time the receipt printer prints the receipt.
Technically, Imonggo will support any brand or model of cash drawer that can be connected to your POS receipt printer. Your POS receipt printer must support the connection of a cash drawer.
To view sample cash drawers in the market, click here.
Barcode Scanner CompatibilityThe use of a barcode scanner is optional but very useful when you have hundreds or thousands of items. Instead of typing the stock number or barcode to search for an item, you can now scan the barcode label of the item.
Most barcode scanners behave like a keyboard and will type the barcode number as you scan the barcode label. They don't require any additional software to be installed. Meanwhile, a few scanners will require additional software installation and extra programming to be done. Imonggo will only support scanners that behave like a keyboard.
Most scanners will also insert ENTER after scanning the barcode, so you can scan the next item easily. If your scanner does not have ENTER, you have to manually press ENTER on your keyboard to scan another item. If this is the case, consult your scanner manual or your supplier to program the scanner to insert an ENTER after every scan.
To view sample barcode scanners in the market, click here.
Magnetic Card Reader CompatibilityA magnetic card reader can be used to read credit cards, debit cards and customer membership cards.
Most magnetic card readers behave like keyboards and will recognize the encoded information once you scan the card. They don't normally require additional software to be installed. Imonggo will only support magnetic card readers that behave like keyboards (or operate in keyboard emulation mode).
To test if your magnetic card reader is working properly, you can open Notepad (in Windows) or TextEdit (in Mac) and try to swipe a magnetic card. If you are able to see a string of text, then your magnetic card reader is working properly.
If you are using certain Magtek card readers that are shipped in HID mode, you need to download software from Magtek to reprogram it to Keyboard Emulation mode for it to work.
To view sample magnetic card readers in the market, click here.
Non-Supported HardwareImonggo does not directly support the following hardware as they will require programming in specific operating systems, which will make Imonggo platform-dependent.
For barcode printing, you need to purchase a barcode label printer. Independent barcode label printing software are also available. Click here to see some sample barcode label printers in the market. To see a sample label printing software, click here.
For more information about Imonggo Point of Sale Software, please visit www.imonggo.com
