Cash drawers are devices that hold currency, checks, and other forms of tender. They are available from a number of manufacturers in a variety of sizes, configurations, and colors. The drawer itself can be metal or plastic and the removable money tray can include a number of compartments. Many cash drawers feature ""media slots,"" into which users can insert credit card receipts or redeemed coupons without opening the drawer, as well as a physical key that can be used to lock or open the drawer. Cash drawers connect to a computer workstation through a serial port, a parallel port, or through a receipt printer's cash drawer interface port, allowing NCR Counterpoint to open the drawer automatically. Typically, the drawer is activated when it receives a 12-volt or 24-volt impulse from the computer or printer. A cash drawer connected to a receipt printer must be compatible with the printer's cash drawer interface in order for the receipt printer to ""pass through"" the drawer release impulse. Cash drawers can also be " compulsory," allowing NCR Counterpoint to warn the user when the drawer is open and require the drawer to be closed before the next ticket can be started. Compulsory drawers are sometimes referred to as " drawer status sensing" cash drawers. Typically, the cash drawer interface cable determines a drawer's status sensing method (either " normally open" or " normally closed" ), which you can specify through the Open status reversed setting in NCR Counterpoint. All cash drawer models include an open/close sensing circuit that reports the drawer status back to the host device, which means all cash drawers may be set up as compulsory cash drawers in NCR Counterpoint.
