Brainboxes announced today that its RS232 to Bluetooth converter is now in use in a wide range of applications including cashless point of sales (POS) systems and retail printers. Brainboxes BL-521 is a Class 1 Bluetooth radio, which means that devices can be connected wirelessly up to at least 100 metres, and is aimed at a vast range of applications especially within the retail, industrial, and banking sectors, which are traditionally fitted with serial connections. The BL-521 converter is available now from www.brainboxes.com.

The module version of the BL-521 is perfect for embedding into the new ‘Chip and PIN’ devices. Chip and PIN is a major development in combating card fraud. In the first phase, practically all credit/debit cards now contain a chip that holds the card data and helps ensure they are not counterfeited. Phase two will require the cardholder to input a personal identification number (PIN) to authorise the transaction and further reduce fraudulent use of cards. By 2005, every shop in the UK will be using these units and payment behaviour will have to change – a change that will affect 42 million cardholders and 1.5 million retail staff in the UK alone. The Brainboxes Bluetooth converters will allow the PIN units (keypads) to be placed at the most convenient and safe locations whilst still ensuring a secure connection to the shop’s POS system.

Brainboxes Bluetooth converters are currently being used in cashless POS systems, which are employed in educational, retail, or leisure industries in which an ID card replaces the use of cash and then feeds information back to centralised systems for settlement of accounts. When used in schools for example, cashless systems, can reduce the need for students to carry cash. A wireless cashless system, enabled by Bluetooth, can bring improvements to the reporting procedures and online student/visitor tracking.

BL-521 Bluetooth converter requires no external software and is fully approved to version 1.1 of the Bluetooth specification. Brainboxes is also offering the BL-521 as a module only, making it possible to plug the Brainboxes module onto the motherboard of the existing equipment with an internal RS232 connection. The BL-521 module is also available now and will be supplied with a simple application permitting settings such as baud rate to be set easily and quickly.