Overview

Robustel’s 3G/4G routers are commonly used to provide internet access to vending machines, kiosks and similar types of terminal. The RS232 port on Robustel routers and modems can be used to directly interface with the MDB (Multi Drop Bus) commonly found in vending machines and the Ethernet port(s) can connect to high speed devices such as media players and PCs located within the housing. One of the major benefits of Robustel’s cellular routers is the ability to easily and quickly embed a customer-specific application onboard with the potential of saving the cost of additional electronics to handle things like protocol translation or data buffering in the event of a network outage.

The M1200 intelligent modem from Robustel is particularly suited for high volume / low-cost vending applications where only a simple RS232, RS485 or Modbus interface is required.M1200 also supports the ability to embed applications onboard as well as having digital inputs and digital outputs that can be used to connect to basic sensors / actuators.

What are the benefits of partnering with Robustel to deploy Vending Machine and Kiosk Solutions?

Robustel Benefits at a glance

• Cost Effective – R2000 is a very cost-effective 3G/4G router solution that can fit the tight commercial requirements of the vending / kiosk market.
• Interface Support – Robustel routers have multiple serial and Ethernet interfaces for connection to subsystems within a vending machine or kiosk.
• Packet Sniffer – Is your vending / kiosk PC transmitting needlessly to the internet incurring 4G data costs? Using the built-in “Sniffer” & Wireshark we can diagnose application layer issues.
• Custom Housing – Custom PCB-level or boxed product solutions available – rapid prototype with off the shelf products then let Robustel value-engineer the solution for you.
• Global Certifications – Global certifications for Robustel 3G/4G routers in North America, Europe, Asia-Pac and more – please enquire for full details.
• ‘RobustVPN’ – A unique networking solution from Robustel. Allows deployers to make a remote connection to any ethernet or serial device directly using any SIM anywhere on the planet without the need for a static IP address.

Create your own application using RobustOS

All Robustel routers run the Linux-based, “RobustOS” operating system.

Because Robustel write the router Operating System in-house, Robustel’s levels of tech support and software customisation far exceed the typical capabilities available in the market.
This means that users in the Vending Machine & Kiosk Deployer market can develop a dedicated application for Robustel’s routers to customise the product’s behaviour to exactly meet the project’s demands.
An example of such an application would be to connect the router RS232 port to a legacy RS232 based controller and use the router to perform some “protocol translation”, converting a custom protocol into usable data that can be ingested by an MQTT-based server on the internet.

Cloud Device Management and VPN Access through RCMS

Robustel Cloud Manager Service (RCMS) is Robustel’s custom IoT software platform and eco-system. Connecting your Robustel device to RCMS opens up a world of applications to make managing devices, connectivity and provisioning simple.

Use the Rlink Device Manager App inside RCMS to instantly access your connected devices from anywhere. Allowing you remotely configure, update apps & firmware, debug error logs and view data usage at any time.

Use the RVPN App inside RCMS to create allocate one or many of your deployed devices to a VPN group which can they be accessed through the RVPN desktop application to access your deployed devices without the security risk of a public IP address or the need for private Static IP allocation from your carrier.