Technical Note

Magnetic Encoding

2008, 09

I&A System Co., Inc.

In case of ‘Smart Printer’ installed magnetic option, it’s possible to encode with variety

methods. To do magnetic encoding, user can use one of following methods ‘Smart design

program’ ‘SDK program’, ‘Set print driver’, ‘Text string’.

‘Smart design program’ is method which normal users are able to issue card easily. ‘SDK

program’ is one that develops card issuance program by using SDK and issues card, it is for

expert. “Set print driver” is that in case of using window application programs like MS WORD,

MS POWER POINT…, the method makes it possible to issue card by setting up magnetic

encoding information in device driver. ‘Text string’ is method that issues magnetic card by using

text string in application program.

1. Smart design program

In the event of ‘SMART CARD PRINTER’, using free smart design is the most common

and easiest method that issues card with both encoding and printing.

As following image, in case of issuing card by using smart design program, as clicking

‘option-set magnetic’, set up doing both printing and encoding at the same time.

When user clicks ‘set magnetic’, the page ‘magnetic setup’ like the image pops-up.

To set up magnetic, first, select the kind of card among ‘LowCo’ and ‘HiCo’. Next after

selecting the option ‘normal’ in appointed track, input the encoding data and click ‘close’.

On finishing magnetic setup, insert the card into printer and click ‘file-print’, then the card

printed and encoded is issued.

About detail information, please refer to ‘Smart Design user manual.’

2. SDK program

In case of issuing special card like bank card, time card or etc, it’s possible to control

printer as individual action unit through ‘SDK’ and then use following functions.

Type Function Remark

Open Device() Making printer run. Handle

Close Device() Finishing printer operation.

Smart Comm_CardIn() Moving card in hopper into printer inside.

Smart Comm_CardOut() Releasing card from printer inner to out. Move

SmartComm_Move() Moving card to printing, encoding spot.

Read SmartComm_MagReadAction

()

Reading the information of magnetic card and

saving in printer buffer.

SmartComm_MagGetBuffer() Loading read magnetic card information as

track unit to pc.

SmartComm_MagGetAllBuffe

r()

Loading all read magnetic card information to

pc.

SmartComm_MagWriteAction

()

Writing information in printer buffer on magnetic

card

SmartComm_MagSetBuffer() Transmitting information writing on magnetic

card as track unit to printer. Write

SmartComm_MagSetAllBuffe

r()

Transmitting all information writing on magnetic

to printer.

About detail information, please refer to ‘Smart Printer SDK user manual’.

3. ‘Set print driver’

In case of not using ‘Smart design’ or ‘SDK’, user can make use of one of two methods.

The one is using ‘set print driver’. If using ‘set print driver’, it’s possible to encode card by using

data set up in driver, without reference to whatever the application program is. In this case, user

can easily encode magnetic by setting up data in GUI.

To making use of ‘set print driver’, user can set up in ‘Properties’ of I&A SMART Card

Printer in ‘Printers and Faxes’ in ‘control panel’ page or in ‘file-print’ page in common application

programs. The difference between of two methods is that if changing setup in ‘Printer & Fax’,

the setup continuously keeps the data up till changing it again and if doing in ‘file-print’ in

common application program, the data is applied to the only the file. Therefore, it’s much more

convenient to use in ‘file-print’ page.

To use ‘print set up’, click ‘file-print’ in application program like below image, and then

‘print’ window pops up.

In the ‘print’ window, with clicking ‘properties’, the ‘I&A SMART Card Printer properties’

window pops up.

In this window, click ‘advanced’ and then the ‘I&A SMART Card Printer advanced options’

window pops up.

Like the image, in the section ‘Manual Magnetic Stripe Encoding’ in the window, after

selecting ‘Use’, input the appointed data into recoding track and click ‘OK’.

When user click ‘OK’ in ‘print’ window, both printing and encoding are done at the same

time

.

About detail information, please refer to ‘Smart Printer SDK user manual’.

4. ‘Text string’

To do magnetic encoding, not using ‘Smart design program’ or ‘SDK’, user can encode by

using ‘Text string’. In this case, the magnetic encoding data is defined by making use of defined

text string. This defined one is not printed to card but encoded as magnetic data.

The text string rule is as following.

~SP:M:H/L:1/2/3:data?

Code Remark

~SP:M The first text to accept as magnetic encoding.

: Delimiter.

H/L Selecting used magnetic card among (H)iCo and (L)oCo.

: Delimiter.

1/2/3 Selecting the data track done encoding.

: Delimiter.

data Inputting the encoded data.

? End text.

For example, to encode the data ‘123456789’ to track No.1 of LoCo card, user makes use

of following string, without reference to pont.

~SP:M:L:1:123456789?

User inputs this string to print driver without blank, the string is encoded by converting the

string to magnetic data. In case of encoding many tracks, input the string in next line

continuously.

Only, the notice thing is that user has to input in turns. In case of using ‘MS WORD’, If

user amend the inputted data, when the amended data is transmitted to print driver, it can’t

probably accept the data because even one string data is separated.

This image is example which encodes the data of No.1 and No.3 track to LoCo card in

‘MS PowerPoint’. Input data like below image (don’t use ‘cut-and-paste’.) and print, then the two

string data are not printed to card but encoded to magnetic.