Using a RJ-11to DB-15 adapter, it's easy to connect one of the
inexpensive MCR-8 magnetic card readers from All Electronics to a game port without having to do any soldering.
Here's the link to the MCR-8 card reader ($1.50):
<http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=367&item=MCR-8&type=store>
And here's the link to the adapter kit I used, a 6-conductor RJ-11 jack to DB-15 male (their part TY14, $2.95) from A2ZCables:
<http://store.a2zcable.com/ty14.html>
The 6-pin RJ-11 plug on the MCR-8 card reader comes wired like this, looking at the plug from the end with the prong down:
Shield(N/C), Black(ground), Red(5v), Green(clock), White(C.P.), Brown(data).
Verify the wire colors connected to the back of the RJ-11 jack on the adapter. They're staggered in two rows. With the prong side down, the top row should be (N/C), Black, Green, Blue. The bottom row should be White, Red, Yellow, (N/C).
With these wire colors, the pins can be pushed into the holes in the DB-15 connector body as follows, to agree with Acidus' wiring diagram per Figure 1 at:
<http://stripesnoop.sourceforge.net/hardware/reader.html>
Black wire (ground) to Pin 4 position
Red wire (+5V) to Pin 1 position
Green wire (clock) to Pin 7 position
Blue wire (data) to Pin 2 position
To add the Card Present line, push the pin for theYellow wire into Pin 14 position.
The White wire is unused - wrap electrical tape around its pin so it won't short out anything.
Insert the pins into the corresponding numbered holes in the connector body - they're numbered on the body. Press firmly on the back of a pin with a stiff piece of wire, like a paper clip, until it snaps into place. (Don't be tempted to _pull_ the pins into place from the other side with pliers - they're hollow and easily crushed.) Make sure to insert the pins into the correct holes the first time - they're impossible to remove without an extraction tool once they've snapped into place.
Having completed the above, tuck the wires into the shell of the adapter and snap the connector body into place.
We're done! Plug the MCR-8 reader into the adapter and the adapter into the game port of your PC.
Optional purchases: Here are some other items also available from A2ZCables:
DB Pin Insertion/Extraction tool (part LINS1 $4.95)
RJ-12 to RJ-12 inline coupler (part TY28S $2.95)
RJ-12 to RJ-12 6-conductor, 7 foot cable (part T66S-7 $4.95)
The tool is essential if you're planning to do very much fiddling with crimp-type DB connectors or adapters. The inline coupler and 7 foot cable is handy if the 22 inch cable connected to the MCR-8 reader is too short for convenient use of the reader with your PC. Note: AllElectronics (where you buy the card reader) also lists 6-conductor RJ-11 cables - less expensive, but they're back-ordered on the 7-foot length (CAT# MT-363 $1.25).
An alternative adapter kit is A2ZCables' part TY25 ($2.95) which is a RJ-45 to DB-15 male adapter. The MCR-8 reader will plug into it and use the 6 center wires. The advantage is that a standard RJ-45 inline coupler and cable can be used to extend the length. Note that I haven't tried this myself, and the adapter wires will probably be different colors.
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If you're in the Connecticut area you can pick up the adapter at Cables & Connector's store (http://www.cablesandconnectors.com/) and not pay shipping. Its C&C part number is 2252, supplier ID AT1-G15M6. Does this reader work with the parallel port hack? If so which version, powered or unpowered? You could just as easily get the same modular adapter with a DB25 on it, or get both and switch back and forth for fun. ;)
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The adapters are available from a number of sources. I don't know how standardized the wire colors are, so it's important to verify which color wire corresponds to which position on its RJ-11 socket if you use an adapter from a different vendor.
I haven't yet been able to get the unpowered parallel port hack to work with my Omron V3B-4k reader and am awaiting advice from Acidus. If I can get that working, I'll see what can be done with a no-solder parallel port adapter for the All Electronics CMR-8.
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i bought 3 readers from All Electronics. They are CMR-8's. There's a guide to modding the Omron readers to read the 3 tracks. I opened up one of the CMR-8 readers to see if it had the same plastic case...but it doesn't. it only has one set of holes to screw in the head in place. Any way to modify this? Right now, i can only think of making a shim to get it to read track 1, but i have to get the measurement just right. There will be no way to read track 3 since I cant get the head lower than it already is. Any suggestions?
There's probably no simple solution short of sawing the two sides of the frame apart and mounting on a new base. Trying to accurately reposition the read head in the existing frame is a fruitless task.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Using a RJ-11to DB-15 adapter, it's easy to connect one of the
inexpensive MCR-8 magnetic card readers from All Electronics to a game port without having to do any soldering.
Here's the link to the MCR-8 card reader ($1.50):
<http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=367&item=MCR-8&type=store>
And here's the link to the adapter kit I used, a 6-conductor RJ-11 jack to DB-15 male (their part TY14, $2.95) from A2ZCables:
<http://store.a2zcable.com/ty14.html>
The 6-pin RJ-11 plug on the MCR-8 card reader comes wired like this, looking at the plug from the end with the prong down:
Shield(N/C), Black(ground), Red(5v), Green(clock), White(C.P.), Brown(data).
Verify the wire colors connected to the back of the RJ-11 jack on the adapter. They're staggered in two rows. With the prong side down, the top row should be (N/C), Black, Green, Blue. The bottom row should be White, Red, Yellow, (N/C).
With these wire colors, the pins can be pushed into the holes in the DB-15 connector body as follows, to agree with Acidus' wiring diagram per Figure 1 at:
<http://stripesnoop.sourceforge.net/hardware/reader.html>
Black wire (ground) to Pin 4 position
Red wire (+5V) to Pin 1 position
Green wire (clock) to Pin 7 position
Blue wire (data) to Pin 2 position
To add the Card Present line, push the pin for theYellow wire into Pin 14 position.
The White wire is unused - wrap electrical tape around its pin so it won't short out anything.
Insert the pins into the corresponding numbered holes in the connector body - they're numbered on the body. Press firmly on the back of a pin with a stiff piece of wire, like a paper clip, until it snaps into place. (Don't be tempted to _pull_ the pins into place from the other side with pliers - they're hollow and easily crushed.) Make sure to insert the pins into the correct holes the first time - they're impossible to remove without an extraction tool once they've snapped into place.
Having completed the above, tuck the wires into the shell of the adapter and snap the connector body into place.
We're done! Plug the MCR-8 reader into the adapter and the adapter into the game port of your PC.
Optional purchases: Here are some other items also available from A2ZCables:
DB Pin Insertion/Extraction tool (part LINS1 $4.95)
RJ-12 to RJ-12 inline coupler (part TY28S $2.95)
RJ-12 to RJ-12 6-conductor, 7 foot cable (part T66S-7 $4.95)
The tool is essential if you're planning to do very much fiddling with crimp-type DB connectors or adapters. The inline coupler and 7 foot cable is handy if the 22 inch cable connected to the MCR-8 reader is too short for convenient use of the reader with your PC. Note: AllElectronics (where you buy the card reader) also lists 6-conductor RJ-11 cables - less expensive, but they're back-ordered on the 7-foot length (CAT# MT-363 $1.25).
An alternative adapter kit is A2ZCables' part TY25 ($2.95) which is a RJ-45 to DB-15 male adapter. The MCR-8 reader will plug into it and use the 6 center wires. The advantage is that a standard RJ-45 inline coupler and cable can be used to extend the length. Note that I haven't tried this myself, and the adapter wires will probably be different colors.
Thanks for posting this information. This really makes the project accessible for anyone with $10 and a sense of adventure.
If you're in the Connecticut area you can pick up the adapter at Cables & Connector's store (http://www.cablesandconnectors.com/) and not pay shipping. Its C&C part number is 2252, supplier ID AT1-G15M6. Does this reader work with the parallel port hack? If so which version, powered or unpowered? You could just as easily get the same modular adapter with a DB25 on it, or get both and switch back and forth for fun. ;)
The adapters are available from a number of sources. I don't know how standardized the wire colors are, so it's important to verify which color wire corresponds to which position on its RJ-11 socket if you use an adapter from a different vendor.
I haven't yet been able to get the unpowered parallel port hack to work with my Omron V3B-4k reader and am awaiting advice from Acidus. If I can get that working, I'll see what can be done with a no-solder parallel port adapter for the All Electronics CMR-8.
i bought 3 readers from All Electronics. They are CMR-8's. There's a guide to modding the Omron readers to read the 3 tracks. I opened up one of the CMR-8 readers to see if it had the same plastic case...but it doesn't. it only has one set of holes to screw in the head in place. Any way to modify this? Right now, i can only think of making a shim to get it to read track 1, but i have to get the measurement just right. There will be no way to read track 3 since I cant get the head lower than it already is. Any suggestions?
http://stripesnoop.sourceforge.net/hardware/mod.html
There's probably no simple solution short of sawing the two sides of the frame apart and mounting on a new base. Trying to accurately reposition the read head in the existing frame is a fruitless task.