VIMAR IT 4.3.4.3 Card Reader Driver User Manual
- June 8, 2024
- VIMAR
Table of Contents
VIMAR IT 4.3.4.3 Card Reader Driver
Introduction
The software makes it possible to read the transponder cards from the VIEW portal using the transponder reader (art. 41017).
Installing the Software
Prerequisites
To install the software and use it correctly, you must have a computer with
the Windows 10 operating system or a later version installed on it. The
computer must have at least one free USB port so that a transponder reader
(art. 41017) can be connected.
Installation
For correct installation, run the installation program; it may require an
Internet connection to complete the installation procedure. Make sure that
there is an Internet connection before starting the installation. The program
will run with administrator privileges during the installation, so the system
administrator credentials may be requested during this phase. Installation
consists of eight simple steps:
- selecting the language for the Setup procedure only (Italian or English);
- Welcome page;
- accepting the terms of the Vimar end user licence contract;
- choosing the installation folder;
- defining the link to the program (for all users or just for the current user);
- confirming the installation;
- installing on the PC and procedure progress;
- end of the installation procedure (and running the program);
After installation, the program will be ready to run. Below are some images that show the software installation interface.
Installation Interface
Card Reader Driver
Running the software
To use the software, enter the start menu that contains the link and run “Vimar Card Reader Driver”. If the recommended choices were used during installation, the program will be under “Vimar”, which may also contain other software. When the application is running, its window will open and its icon will appear in the notification area.
Software interface
Now let’s look at the items in the program interface:
“Vimar Card Reader Driver” interface
Interface elements
- Language menu bar
- Card display area:
- last read card
- delete field button
- “Service status” area
- Option selection area
- Pop-up when reader status changes
- Pop-up when reading a card
- Button to hide the panel
Menu bar
The menu bar allows you to choose the Language from Italian or English. All
panel items are updated immediately when the Language is chosen. Unlike the
interface, the language of the context menu in the taskbar will not change
until the next time the application is run.
Last read card display area
This element shows the last card read by the reader. The value displayed is
“Vimar UID”, which also appears in the page of the “View Vimar Portal” portal
when the transponder cards are read. The “Delete” button clears the “Vimar
UID” field.
“Service status” area
The “Service status”, and in particular the “Current status” field, displays
the status of the transponder reader (art. 41017). The current status is
represented by a different colour according to the condition of the reader:
- Not connected;
- Initialisation;
- Ready;
In certain conditions it may be necessary to wait up to 60 seconds for the reader status to change.
Option selection area
The last area contains the options. Here you can decide whether you want a
“Notification message” when a card is read or the service status changes.
“Hide” button
Press the “Hide” button to remove the software window from the screen. In any
case, it can be reopened at any time from the context menu of the notification
icon on the taskbar.
Notification Icon
The application has a notification icon, which provides an immediate
indication of its run status. The icon is on the taskbar.
Vimar Card Reader Driver notification icon
Transponder reader status notification icon:
- Menu : Hide window
- Menu : Close reader
- Menu : Open detail window
When the “Vimar Card Reader Driver” application is running, its status icon is always on the taskbar. This icons changes colour according to the service status, making it visible at all times. The notification icon has a context menu to:
- open the application window;
- hide the application window;
- close the application.
When a particular event occurs, e.g. a card is read or the service status changes, the messages inform the user of what happened. This only takes place if notifications are active (see chapter 3.1.4 on page 6).
Using the Software
When the software is running, you can easily use it and monitor its
operation. To do so, just connect the transponder reader (art. 41017) to the
computer. This will change the “Current status” of the software to
“Initialisation” and then the “Current status” should change to “Ready” after
about 1 minute. Once it is in the “Ready” state, you can read transponder
cards by passing them in front of the reader. To use the software via the
“View Vimar Portal” portal, refer to the portal instructions. Remember,
however, that the portal can only access the transponder card reader when the
software is running. If you have any issues, we recommend reading chapter 4 to
solve them.
Troubleshooting
The main aim of this software is to read transponder cards using the transponder reader (art. 41017). The program window allows you to monitor this process. All operations performed by the transponder reader are logged in the “Event Viewer”. There are just a few possible critical situations:
- Problems while installing the application;
- Problems when running the application;
- Communication problems with the transponder reader (art. 41017);
- Problems with the “View Vimar Portal” portal;
Problems while installing the application
If the application fails to install, we recommend checking that the
destination computer meets the minimum requirements (see chapter 2.1 on page
3).
We also recommend checking that there is a working Internet connection; the
installation procedure may not complete successfully without it.
Problems when running the application
If the application fails to run correctly or closes immediately on start-up,
it may be because there is no transponder reader (art. 41017). This problem
can be solved easily by connecting the reader to the computer and running the
application again.
Communication problems with the transponder reader
Communication with the transponder reader (art. 41017) is handled by the
transponder driver. The driver is installed automatically during installation,
and is activated when the device is connected for the first time.
If the driver is installed correctly, connecting the transponder reader (art.
41017) will cause the software to react by changing status from “Not
connected” to “Initialisation” followed by “Ready”. It may take up to 60
seconds to change from one status to the next. The software may fail to run if
the driver is missing.
Card reader in the “Initialisation” state
If the application remains in the “Initialisation” state for longer than 60
seconds, it may be because the PC has slowed down. In this case, the device is
still operational.
Restarting the application, or in the worst case rebooting the PC, should
solve the problem; this restart is not however necessary for correct software
operation.
Card reader in the “Not connected” state
If the reader remains in the “Not connected” state, check that the reader is
connected to the PC and recognised by it.
You can make this check by opening “Device manager” and checking that the
“STMicroelectronics Virtual COM Port (COMxx)” device appears under “Ports (COM
& LPT)”, and that there are no errors.
If the device and its driver are working
If the device is in the “Device manager” and there are no error alerts, it
means that the driver is installed correctly, in which case we recommend
rebooting the PC and trying again. If the problem persists, contact the
customer service.
Device not working
If the device is not in the “Device manager”, or if there are errors or
warnings, the cause may be a hardware problem. In this case, proceed as
follows:\
- check the “Transponder reader (art. 41017)” is connected to the PC correctly;
- check that the “Transponder reader (art. 41017)” is lit up white or red;
- check the “Transponder reader (art. 41017)” operation on another PC or replace it with another identical one;
- check that the USB cable used for the connection is intact and working correctly, and replace it if possible;
- check that the USB is working, and change the connection port on the computer if possible.
Driver not working
If the previous tests had a negative outcome and there are no hardware
problems, it is likely that the driver is the cause of the malfunction; in
this case, reinstall it.
Disconnect the transponder reader before proceeding. To uninstall the driver
from the “Device manager”, select the device concerned and press the red
uninstall button (X). Tick “Delete the driver software for this device” and
press “Uninstall”. To install the driver, enter the program directory
containing the driver files, select the file “stmcdc.inf” and select the
“Install” menu option with the right button. The directory that contains the
file directory should be: “C:\Program Files
(x86)\VIMAR\CardReaderDaemon\Driver”. Once the driver has been reinstalled and
the transponder reader (art. 41017) is connected, the application should work
correctly. If this procedure also fails to work, it is a good idea to contact
the customer service.
Problems with the “View Vimar Portal” portal
If there is no connection to the “View Vimar Portal” portal, we recommend the
following:
- check that the PC is connected to the Internet and that the connection is stable;
- check that the portal page opens correctly (change browser if necessary);
- check that you have the permissions needed to access the required functions.
If there are other problems, contact your installer or the customer service.
Application log files
The installation procedure also creates a log folder in Windows Event Viewer.
The log files are under: “Applications and services
logs/VimarCardReaderDaemon”. When there are problems, these log files can be
useful to understand the reasons for malfunctions and help solve them.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some tips related to the most frequent problems.
The installation procedure fails| Make sure that there is an Internet connection; some packages must be downloaded directly from the Cloud.
Before reinstalling the program, uninstall the version installed previously.
---|---
If the application fails to run| Try connecting the transponder reader (art.
41017) before running it again.
If the reader remains in the “ Initialisation ” state for longer than 60
seconds| Disconnect the transponder reader (art. 41017) and reconnect it. Run
the application again, and reboot the PC if the problem persists.
If the reader remains in the “ Not connected ” state| Disconnect the
transponder reader (art. 41017) and reconnect it.
If the problem persists, read chapter 4.3 “ Communication problems with the transponder reader ” on page 10.
I am unable to access the portal| · check that the PC is connected to the Internet and that the connection is stable;
· check that the portal page opens correctly (change browser if necessary);
· check that you have the permissions needed to access the required functions.
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