POS Developer Guide to .Net MGC Programming

This document outlines the basic tools and configuration required for a typical POS developer to interface with the .Net version of the Mobile Gateway Controller. This document explains the steps required to setup up and the interfaces to the MGC software. Overview comments and sample code are provided for all steps.  This document is more of a detailed explanation of all required steps as opposed to a quick start reference.

Software Packages

The MGC software is installed in 3 separate installations.

MGC Station – This is the software that loads on the Mobile Gateway Controller itself. The station is responsible for communicating with the physical devices.  All access to these devices is done through web service interfaces. 

XML configuration files identify what ports the devices are attached as well as what type of device is in use. The configuration is done through the DeviceManager.xml file. A general overview of this file is found here. The Pin Pad, Line Display and Tone Control have additional configuration information designed to minimize the code required to control those devices. 

Technical details of all available options can be found in the DeviceManager.xsd file. The Web services side of the MPC station requires no configuration. The status of the MPC station is available through the web browser. To query the status of the MPC Station browse to http://localhost:8081/PS/Status.html. Replace localhost host with the DNS name or IP address of the machine running the MGC software.  If port 8081 is not available, this can be changed in the PeripheralStation.xml file.

Technical details of all available options can be found in the PeripheralStation.xsd file. The MGC Station software runs as a service.

MGC Station Manager - The Station Manager is responsible organizing peripherals from many MGC stations into POS stations ready for use by the POS client applications. POS stations are not necessarily the same as MGC stations. 

An MGC station refers to the hardware controlling the physical devices. The MGC station is limited to the number of ports that are on the hardware. Since the devices required by a POS vary from application to application, a POS station does require a 1 to 1 relationship with the MGC station. In many cases, 1 MGC station can support multiple POS stations.

All of the devices required for a POS station do not have to be connected to the same MGC station. The claiming and releasing of a POS station is done through the MGC Station Manager. The MGC Station Manager is a standalone application that must be installed on a system that can communicate with all POS clients and MGC stations in an installation. If you have POS clients and MGC stations on separate networks, you will require a MGC Station Manager for each network. 

The MGC Station Manager requires configuration information to identify all of the MGC stations on the network (user specified station name and the DNS name/IP address associated with the MGC) as well as what devices make up a POS Station. The POS Station is given a name and the identity of each device (station name and device name) that makes up the station. The configuration file is PeripheralStationManager.xml and the technical details of all available options can be found in the PeripheralStationManager.xsd.

The status of the MGC Station Manager is available through the web browser. To query the status of the MGC Station Manager browse to http://localhost:8081/PSM/Status.html. If the 8081 port is not available, this can be changed in the PeripheralStationManager.xml file. The MGC Station Manager software runs as a service.

MGC Developer Kit – This kit contains all of the MGC components needed for the POS client application to communicate with the local device manager. The POS client application simply communicates with the local device manager. Whether the devices are local to the client application or remote at an MGC station, communicates to the local device manager are nearly the same. 

All of the remote communications are handled by the local device manager. Just like the MGC Station, configuration of the devices (whether local or remote) is done through the devicemanager.xml file.